Look no further
by jasperskitty
Summary: Two lost souls meet. One human, one vampire. Is it fate or sheer coincidence? Will they be able to heal each other? Or will their encounter end badly for the both of them? J/B, M for language, violence and lemons
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hey guys! I know, I know … I probably shouldn't put up yet another new story, since I am always slightly unreliable with the updates of my other stories. But this one has kept my mind and fingers busy for quite some time now so I thought what the hell, just put it out there.**

**So here you are: the first chapter.**

**As long as it isn't otherwise indicated the story will be told in Jasper's POV.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 1

The monotone landscape of the surrounding desert flew by fast, blurring in its shapes and forms, as I drove my black car down the vacant highway. For all I knew I was somewhere in the southeast of Nevada … my final destination still uncertain for the time being. But since there was no place I needed to be … right now or ever … my exact whereabouts weren't much of importance to me at the moment.

I simply took great pleasure in the opportunity to drive my car at high speed. I only abided by the human traffic laws when need be. But right now wasn't one of those times. _Lucky me._

I had my windows rolled down, the warm and dry summer breeze fanning my blond, chin-length hair out of my face. It was a quite pleasant feeling, the warmth on my ice-cold and durable skin … like the gentle and loving touch of a woman. Not that I've ever experienced such a thing in my long lifetime, but I've always imagined it would feel exactly like that.

I shook my head vehemently in order to rid myself of the nice but at the same time disturbing mental picture of me holding a woman in a lovers embrace.

Of course, I've had my fair share of women in my one hundred and fifty plus years but it has always been just sex, nothing more, nothing less. A fleeting, empty pleasure, leaving me more often than not rather unsatisfied, and most of the times the humans completely drained of their life essence. I knew what sexual desire felt like, but love? Not a clue, whatsoever.

And finding love wasn't very high on my list of priorities, because it meant opening up to another person, share all your worries and fears with them. I knew I wasn't ready for that kind of thing. In fact, I was quite certain that I would never have something like that … ever. And why would any woman … human or vampire … be interested in someone like me? One look at my scarred skin would be answer enough, not to mention my invisible yet equally countless mental scars.

There was no need to remind myself once again. The fact was plain and simple, and would always remain the same. I was damaged goods, with nothing much to offer but misery and pain. And who would want something like that?

That's how it was, and how it would always be for me. I've accepted that fact a long time ago, which was why I didn't look for any kind of companionship any longer. Simply put, I've given up hope.

But be that as it may, I still couldn't shake the strange feeling that something was missing in my life. But for the sake of my own sanity, I've decided to simply ignore it. I had two good friends and that was going to be enough. And in my opinion it was all the happiness I deserved, after all the atrocities I've committed. I saw no way to redeem myself anyways, that was why I didn't even try.

I sighed loudly, choosing to refocus on the only important matter at hand … driving. Not that it was necessary though. As a vampire I was able to split my concentration without putting myself in danger of causing an accident, what with the peripheral vision and all that. But for now it seemed healthier to focus on only one thing, in order to keep me sane … and the car intact. Wouldn't be the first time I totaled my car in some temper tantrum, I've managed to work myself into by pondering over things that couldn't be changed … especially not by simple wishful thinking.

It was late, almost midnight according to the clock on the dashboard. Not that time actually mattered to someone like me. I didn't require sleep or rest … at all. This was only one of the perks that came with being a vampire. Inhuman speed and strength, and of course immortality were also neat side effects. Being a vampire was great … for the most part.

But sometimes I truly missed being able to close my eyes and drift off into slumber land. I envied the humans for being able to shut out all the noises. They had no idea what a luxury it actually was to experience complete silence and peace of mind.

And of course I had another very good reason for feeling like that, and for staying on my own.

Some vampires possessed a special gift. And unfortunately, I was one of those lucky bastards. Empathy was my thing. Though one might think it was a cool and handy gift, I begged to differ. Being able to sense everyone's emotions all the time wasn't pleasant, far from it actually. At most times it drove me nuts. Especially the negative emotions like fear, hate, anger, sorrow, shame … the list goes on and on … were hard to handle, even for someone like me. One might think that with my years of existence and experience I should have managed to gain some sort of control, maybe even some sort of mental defense, but I haven't.

My angst was quite reasonable though, considering my not so pleasant past. For almost a century I'd had lived in hell, training, fighting and killing countless newborn vampires. Back then fear and anger were on the daily menu, I was quite literally drowning in it. I was lucky, that Peter came back when he did, to pull my sorry ass out of the pit. Sooner or later would have found a way to end my existence one way or another. I knew I owed Peter more than my life, and I would never be able to repay him for what he did. Not that he asked, but still …

After my escape I've tried to live with Peter and his mate Charlotte for some time, but it didn't work out. I liked them both very much, but I wasn't ready to settle down, especially not with mated vampires as my roommates. Their vibes of lust and desire were equally distressing for me, as were fear and hate back with Maria. Of course Peter tried to convince me to stay, eager to help me get more control of my power, but I declined. I needed to get on the road, always running, always searching … and never finding the one thing that still eluded me … peace.

Sure, from time to time I checked in on them, staying for a couple of weeks, before I was back on the road again. I still had some problems controlling my special gift, even now, after sixty years living in freedom, but at least it had gotten easier being around my friends.

My lack of ability to control my gift was part of the reason why I kept to myself most of times. I tried to avoid large crowds all together. True, I had fairly good control over my bloodlust now, but I still hadn't learned to achieve the same self-control over my empathic gift. I still let the emotions of others get the better of me.

I knew Peter would argue that in order to achieve control I would have to conquer my own fears first. But I saw no real use for putting myself in that position, that's why I hadn't even tried. I didn't want company … any company. I was good on my own.

I was still walking, talking, not breathing … but somehow I was alive. I wasn't suicidal … not anymore. But I was tired. I had no true goals, no reason for being … but I was still here, constantly searching for something unknown, something unattainable.

I wasn't happy. That specific sensation was foreign to me. But I was content … for the most part. I knew Peter would argue with me on that too, but we've come to a silent agreement a long time ago, to never bring that subject up again. Just live and let live … that sort of thing. And it worked.

All of a sudden I was pulled out my little pity party, when the engine began to stutter.

Trut, trut …

A second later I could see steam rising from the hood. More as a reflex action than anything else I immediately pulled my foot of the gas.

"You've gotta be kidding me?" I cursed under my breath, when my car finally came to a complete and final stop at the side of the road. I slammed my hands on the wheel in frustration, carefully minding my strength though. I didn't exactly know how I've managed to accomplish this, but considering I was in the middle of nowhere, I was glad because it wouldn't be wise to damage the car any further than it apparently already was.

Grumpily, I got out of the car, and opened the hood, more steam escaping the confines. Unfortunately, I didn't know anything about cars. When one broke down, I usually just bought a new one, not even thinking once about sending it to the repair shop. And it wasn't like I couldn't afford to do so. I had enough money to buy myself two or three new cars a months, if I'd wished so.

But out here in the middle of nowhere, my choices were rather limited. I closed the hood with a little too much force. I walked back to the driver's side, slumping into the seat. For two minutes I silently considered my options.

Running instead of driving was always an option for someone like me. But crazy as it might sound I preferred driving a car as a means of transport. Don't get me wrong running was fun and exhilarating, but driving was so much better, especially nowadays. But maybe I was just weird that way. Or lazy … but who cared.

Of course I could just leave the car here, and make it to the next town by foot, and just purchase a new vehicle. But oddly, I've grown quite fond of this one. Fortunately, I recalled driving by a gas station a few miles back. So there was a better option.

I would go back there in the hope of finding someone there who could fix whatever was wrong with my car and I could be back on the road as soon as possible.

My mind was made up. I put the gear in drive and then stepped out the vehicle. Thanks to my strength I wasn't a big deal to push my car the whole way.

It took me only five minutes. Behind the gas station was a small motel, and a twenty-four diner, too.

_Good, I could use a drink …_

I parked my car right in front of the station. A middle-aged man came right outside when he heard the noise and took a quick look at the engine. I didn't pay much attention to the details, but I got the cliff notes. The damage was minimal, easily fixed by noon the next day, which meant I would have to spend the night at the diner or rent a room at the motel.

I paid the man in advance, hoping it would speed up the process, but somehow I doubted that, considering the time and the place. I left the gas station and went over to the small diner.

Suddenly a feeling of déjà-vu came over me. It was nearly fifty years ago …

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**A/N Well, what do think? Worth continuing?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N As always you all just blew me away with your responses. Thanks!**

**In this chapter an important detail about Jasper's past will be revealed, and hopefully some of your questions will be answered.**

**Enjoy!**

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_Previously …_

A feeling of déjà-vu came over me. It was nearly fifty years ago …

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Chapter 2

_I was in Philadelphia. There was a storm that night, and it was raining quite heavily. Due to the late hour and the bad weather condition there was barely a living soul on the street, but taking into consideration that I still would have drawn too much attention to myself by walking carefree through the pouring rain, I knew I needed to find some shelter._

_I didn't have to look long, spotting a small diner right across the street. I quickly made the decision to wait in there for the rain to cease. It wasn't like I had places to be … not yet anyway. I had all the time in the world … literally._

_Through the window I was able to ascertain that the place was pretty much vacant, much to my delight. It was probably a good thing, that wasn't hungry at the moment. I'd already quenched my thirst on two humans that night. But to be honest, I was more concerned about my ability to control my gift than my bloodlust. To me all humans smelt pretty much the same, but only blood wise. So far I hadn't had the pleasure yet to come across one human whose blood sang to me. That was probably a good thing, though. I could only imagine the extreme, but at the same time short-lived satisfaction that came with the experience of drinking the perfect blood. What a shame it would be, to discover something like this, only to lose it just as quickly._

_I had to swallow a mouthful of venom, and shook my head, to rid myself of these disconcerting thoughts. I knew thinking about feeding wouldn't be prudent, when I was about to deal with humans._

_As soon as I was through the door, my body instantly stiffened. I was assaulted by an unfamiliar but still well-known scent. There was another vampire in here, apparently for quite some time since the entire room reeked of his or her smell, overshadowing even the mixed stink of alcohol, human sweat and stale grease._

_Of course, my vampire instincts kicked in right away. Fight or flight? Fight or flight? My gut told me to get out of there at once, but of course my brain (and my pride) was telling me to stay. Maybe I was too over-confident for my own good, but considering there were humans around, I didn't really expect an attack._

_In the end I didn't get the chance to make a final decision on either one of my choices, because just a few seconds after my entrance a tiny woman with black, spiky hair jumped from a stool at the bar, and walked … well more like danced right over to me. I still stood at the door, rooted in place, contemplating my options._

_When she came closer, a growl, too low for human ears, broke free from my chest. It was a warning, and she seemed to recognize it as such, keeping some distance between us, but it still wasn't good enough for me._

_Even though it was quite obvious that she wasn't much of a threat to someone like me, with my background, her presence still made me extremely uncomfortable. I knew she would be easily dealt with, if necessary, but then again I also knew where there was one there could easily be another, hiding. I prepared myself for a fight … mentally and physically. I quickly glanced around the room, counting heartbeats, and faces …_

_I sighed internally, relaxing a bit, when I realized that she was on her own … well at least in here._

"_You've kept me waiting for a long time. I was starting to get worried." She chirped, smiling at me sweetly, almost persuasively. According to her emotions she wasn't just weighing me in false security, she actually meant every word. In fact, her emotions were pretty easy to read. She was practically bouncing, absolutely ecstatic with joy. The unfamiliar feeling of pure happiness was creeping up on me, threatening to consume me._

_I shook it off on impulse. I hated being influenced by the emotions of others. It made me feel incapable of making my own decisions. I needed to keep a level head, especially as long as I didn't know what the hell was going on._

_For a moment there, I was truly lost for words, as the meaning behind her words sank in. She has been waiting for me, but why? Fortunately, I managed to keep the full extent of my bewilderment from showing on my face. Being a vampire implied being a good actor by nature._

"_I beg your pardon?" My voice was rather harsh, but I didn't care. I wanted her to know, that I wasn't as delighted as she was about our encounter._

_Her face fell ever so slightly. Apparently this wasn't the reaction she was expecting._

"_Well … like I'd said, I've been waiting for you." She said, hurt evident in her voice. "You should have been here an hour ago. But never mind that, you are here now, that's all that matters." She gained some of her earlier confidence back at the end._

"_Well, that's real nice, but I am not in the mood for company." I scoffed, pushing past her. I knew it was rude of me to act this way, but I couldn't find it in me to actually care. And I hoped that this way she would get the message and leave me the fuck alone. I walked over to an empty booth. I could feel her eyes on me, but I ignored it. I sat down, facing the entrance out of habit._

_The little vampire stood there, looking like someone who just got dumped by her lover … for no good reason. She huffed, and then made her way over to my table. If I wasn't already irritated to death by her, I would have found her persistence rather amusing, maybe even endearing. But apparently she wasn't smart enough to take the hint I gave her. I rolled my eyes at her, but she decided to ignore it, determined to follow her own course._

_She slid in the booth across from me. Before any of us could say anything, the waitress made her appearance at our table._

"_What can I get you?" She asked._

"_Bourbon, straight. _No ice_." I said, emphasizing the last two words. I didn't look up, keeping my eyes on the gnome._

"_Miss?"_

"_Nothing for me, thank you." My table companion said, staring back at me. For the first time I noticed the strange color of her eyes. Instead of deep blood red like mine, hers were orange-red. For a brief moment I wondered about the reason behind this unique shade. But then again, I've met vampires who had kept their original eye-color._

_The waitress left, only to return with my drink a minute later. At least the service in here was good. She left us alone again, probably sensing the tension between the two of us._

"_Are you really going to drink that?" The strange vampire asked, eyeing my drink speculatively._

"_So what if I do?" I snapped back. What was she, my mother? I took a mouthful of my drink, enjoying the familiar taste on my tongue. She watched me with interest, wrinkling her nose in disgust._

_It was true; normally a vampire couldn't drink or eat anything except blood. Well, we could ingest anything, but we couldn't digest it. But it turned out that high-proof alcohol was an exception to that rule. And from time to time, I truly enjoyed a glass of good, old Bourbon. It reminded me of my human days. Of course, it hadn't the same effect on a vampire, since we couldn't get drunk, but still._

_I set my glass back on the table. "So, since you aren't going to leave me alone, can you at least tell me, what you want from me?" I demanded._

_She flinched again at my less than polite tone of voice. She took a moment to collect herself, taking in a deep, but unnecessary breath, before she began to talk. "Well, okay. My name is Alice. And I possess a special ability just like you do, _Jasper_." She stopped, gauging my reaction. So she knew my name, what else is new? I was pretty well known in the vampire society. I leaned back, crossing my arms, signaling her with a flick of one hand to continue. Against all odds, I was starting to enjoy this. Sufficed to say, I was a little curious about the so-called gift of hers._

"_I knew that you were coming in here tonight, because I _saw_ it. I had a vision of you … well of us actually." She stared at the table, playing with a napkin. It almost looked like she would be blushing, if that were possible. I tried hard to suppress a laugh, because I've never, not even once, met a vampire who was acting this … _human_. I could still sense a flicker of hope in her. I let her continue, because I could sense something else coming. "You are supposed to come with me … in my vision we are going to join a coven … and we are happy. We are going to survive on animals and you won't have to feed on humans anymore …"_

"_Hold it right there, missy. Can you repeat the last thing? I think I didn't quite catch that." I mocked. Of course I've heard her just fine. I was a vampire after all. But was she serious?_

_Her head snapped up, and she was glaring at me. "Why are you being so mean? What is wrong with you?" Alice cried, a little too loud. We were starting to draw attention to ourselves. I didn't like it, not one bit. But I liked her aggravating behavior even less._

"_What is wrong with _me_? Are you serious? You came on to me, telling me some tall tell … and you actually have the audacity to believe that I would trust you, and go with you … just like that, just because you tell me you _saw_ it happen. You must be delusional." I shook my head in exasperation. My earlier amusement was completely gone._

"_I just want to help you …" She tried to defend herself._

"_But I don't want your help." I growled, sensing my control slipping. "Nor do I need help."_

"_But it will be for the best …" She argued._

_I slapped my hand on the table, cutting her off mid-sentence. I had enough of this farce. Who did she think she was? Mother Teresa? I leaned across the table, speaking only loud enough for her to hear. "You listen, and listen good, little one, because I hate to repeat myself. I have no desire whatsoever to go with you and join some stupid coven. And as long as there are humans to feed on, I won't have to think twice about changing my diet._

"_And as for you and me," I gestured between us, "_That_ will never happen. You are not simply my type, get it?"_

_Alice visibly recoiled, like I'd just slapped her. And in truth, I wasn't very far from doing the exact thing. She was pissing me off with her Good Samaritan act. She might believe that she was really going to help me. But I saw it differently. I've just managed to escape the claws of one manipulative bitch. I had no desire whatsoever to replace her with another. And at that precise moment that's all I saw in the little vampire who sat across from me. Of course, I could sense her disappointment, her pain and her anger. I pushed against it, but my own feelings were too strong at the moment._

_I knew I had to get out of here, before I would finally lose it._

_I pulled a bill out of my wallet and placed it on the table. Then I stood up. "I'm leaving. If you are smart, you will not try to follow me. You seem to know enough about me, so you know what I am capable of when I'm angry." I said, menacingly._

_Without another word, I left the diner. I didn't glance back, but I could hear her silent sobs of grief on my way out. I didn't care one bit._

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I grinned, remembering the day I told Peter about that bizarre confrontation, which was actually only a few days later, since I was already on my way to visit him and Charlotte up in Maine, when I came across Alice.

All three of us had a good laugh … for days.

But Charlotte being Charlotte couldn't help herself and gave me good scolding about the way I'd let Alice down. Thankfully she had done it in private. I didn't need Peter to witness this. He would have teased me about it to no end. But he was hardly the one to talk, since he was completely whipped. I knew he would deny it, but it was obvious who had the pants on in their relationship… so to speak.

A small … _very_ small part of me felt guilty. I knew my mother had raised me better. And Charlotte didn't let the opportunity slide to remind me of that fact. She was convinced that even though we were vampires, living of humans, we could at least try to do better.

And maybe she was right. I could have handled the situation with more finesse. But back then and even now, my gift made it difficult to act accordingly. Alice's high-handed behavior has been enough to push me over the edge. Maybe I'd have reacted differently if she'd taken a different approach. Anyhow, there was no doubt in my mind, that I still would have declined her gracious offer, but in a nicer way.

Once, and only once Peter and I had actually tried out deer, out of sheer curiosity. We both agreed to never repeat that experiment. The taste was disgusting at best, though I had to admit that animal blood might make a reasonable substitute … for some. It didn't quench the thirst, only dulled it. It would take an entire herd to compensate for one human. And I imaged that abstaining would make it more difficult to control our bloodlust.

I shook my head, and walked through the door. Surprisingly, the diner was more occupied than I would have expected, due to the hour and the place. I took a seat at the bar, far enough away from the other patrons.

"What can I get you?" The middle-aged woman working the bar asked. She sounded tired, and a little annoyed.

I pointed at the shelf behind her. "Just give me that and an empty glass."

She frowned at first, but complied as soon as I put a bill on the counter, more than enough to cover the worth of the bottle. She simply shrugged and went back to her business, cleaning glasses, paying me no more attention.

Because I had nothing else to do, I scanned the room. There were two truckers sitting in one corner, playing cards and drinking beer. A couple, in desperate need to get a room sooner rather than later, were busy kissing, licking and groping each other. I tried my best to ignore their heavy state of arousal, hoping that they would soon decide to relocate their make-out session elsewhere. In the farthest corner sat a young woman with long, dark hair, reading a book. She was drinking something hot, coffee perhaps.

She looked up at the same moment, and our eyes met. I could have sworn that I saw a flicker of recognition in her beautiful deep brown eyes. But I couldn't be sure because she hastily diverted her eyes back to the book in front of her. That wasn't the kind of reaction I was used to. Generally, women would be staring at me, flirting like mad in the hopes to get a chance with me. They didn't have a clue that they were better off, when I declined.

But this one acted odd. I knew for certain that I had never seen this girl in my life before. Did she know what I was? And if she did, why wasn't she out of here the minute she saw me? Humans normally had a healthy sense of self-preservation. Maybe she didn't?

_But more importantly … why do I care at all?_

I didn't know why, but I couldn't take my eyes of her. Something about her had caught my full attention. I continued to study her. From the looks of her I estimated that she was probably around nineteen or twenty years old. The clothes she wore didn't give much away, simple blue jeans and a sweater, nothing special. She was pale, very pale, which I thought was quite unusual for this area, but maybe she wasn't from around here, just passing through like me. She didn't strike me as sick though.

_Again … why do you care?_

Somehow she must have sensed my lingering gaze. She didn't look up again, but I could tell from her posture that she was starting to get uncomfortable. And then she was blushing furiously. I groaned at the sight, gulping down the entire content of my glass. The taste of the alcohol helped a little to get my mind off the thought of tasting her blood. I wasn't thirsty, but she was still tantalizing me.

_Come and have a taste …_

Abruptly she closed her book, and hastily placed some coins to pay for her beverage. In the next moment she was out of her seat, and practically fled the scene. I caught a whiff of her scent, when she moved passed me. She smelled like nothing I'd ever encountered before. But it wasn't her blood that called to me. It seemed to be _her_.

I stared after her, watching as she entered one of the rooms of the motel. What the hell was that about? Should I go after her? Was she alone? I remained on my seat, contemplating my options.

Finally, I'd made my decision. There was no doubt in my mind. I wanted her … one way or another. None of the other patrons had paid any attention to me or her abrupt departure, which made it easier for me to slip out and follow her, totally unnoticed.

I walked over to her motel room, struggling to keep a human pace. Not that it was necessary, because there wasn't anyone out here, just a few stay dogs. It was too dark anyway, for the humans to see me.

When I reached the door, I tried the doorknob first. To my surprise but utter delight it wasn't locked. She made it far too easy for me. I slipped into the room, closing the door behind me without making any noise. I heard water running. Obviously she was in the bathroom. I moved stealthily not wanting to alert her to my presence. The door to the small bathroom stood slightly ajar. I was able to see her, standing in front of the sink, brushing her teeth. She had managed to change her outfit. Now she was dressed in some loose sweatpants and t-shirt, apparently her attire for the night.

She leaned over the sink, rinsing her mouth. I took my chance and moved inside the bathroom, standing right behind her, without touching her. When she straightened up, our eyes met in the mirror above the sink. I was ready to clap my hand over her mouth, to silence her scream. Her eyes went wide, and her breath got stuck, but she didn't make a sound.

I didn't know why I hadn't noticed it before, but suddenly I realized that I wasn't able to get a read on her emotions … at all. Nothing but static. _How peaceful!_ But then again, using my special gift wasn't necessary. One look into her brown, bottomless eyes and I knew everything I needed to know. She knew what I was, and she wasn't afraid.

Her eyes never left mine. She pulled her long hair out-of-the-way, exposing her throat to me.

"Do it!" She said, tilting her head.

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**A/N Will he, won't he? That's the question! What do you think?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N First I have to say thanks for all the reviews. I'm glad you like the journey so far. Secondly, I know most of you are convinced that Jasper won't give into his natural urges but … well you'll see.**

**Enjoy!**

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_Previously …_

_Her eyes never left mine. She pulled her long hair out-of-the-way, exposing her throat to me._

"_Do it!" She said, tilting her head._

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Chapter 3

I was taken aback by the calmness and acceptance in her voice.

But the brief feeling of shock was quickly overwritten by my natural, stronger impulse to sink my teeth into her skin. Right this moment I didn't care if she knew what I was, because in the couple of minutes it would take me to drain her tiny, frail body of its life-force, all of this … the worry, the doubt and the curiosity I felt … all of it wouldn't matter anymore, because by then she would be dead. I would dump her lifeless body somewhere in the desert … or I would just leave it here. I knew from hearing it on the news on TV or reading it in the paper that it wasn't a rare occurrence to find a dead body in a motel room like this one.

I could see in the mirror that she had closed her eyes, waiting for me to act, to comply with her demand. _Her_ demand … Oddly, both her breathing and her heartbeat were only slightly erratic. I didn't sense any real fear, just anticipation, but I could be wrong since her emotions were still a mystery to me. I gently pulled her closer, moving my right arm around her waist, and the left one around her shoulders to grab her chin, tilting her head to the right. She was so warm and soft. The girl was trapped, unable to move, but she didn't seem to mind … at all. She sighed in what sounded almost like relief, and actually leaned into my chest. _What an odd reaction on her part?_

Without any further delay, I sank my teeth into her neck. It was like cutting butter with a knife … smooth and easy. Nothing new or out of the ordinary, I've done this countless times. As far as I was concerned this was just another nameless victim, serving its sole purpose to quench my thirst.

I kept my eyes fixed on the mirror as I began to drink, moaning at the erotic sight. An outsider might have mistaken us for lovers.

Suddenly I realized that she wasn't like anything I've ever experienced before. She was so much more.

Not only was she the first human ever who offered herself to me freely and willingly, but the taste of her blood was something else altogether. When the first drop of the human girl's blood had passed my lips, I knew she was special in more ways than one. Her blood was rich and delicious, something I hadn't expected after smelling her. Her scent was nice, but the taste of her blood was simply intoxicating, and very exciting. I felt myself getting more aroused than usual.

I couldn't get enough. I wanted to take my time, already mourning the imminent loss of this treasure. I knew I wouldn't be able to prolong this pleasure forever, even if I wanted to.

Then without any warning, I was assaulted by tidal waves of her formerly suppressed emotions. The most prominent ones were sorrow, pain and guilt. The strength of these feelings knocked me literally to the ground, forcing me to take her with me. I withdrew my teeth, throwing my head back, howling in pain.

_What the hell?_ I was breathing hard, although I wasn't in need of any oxygen. Was it just the shock that made me stop drinking, or something else? I wanted to blame her emotions, but deep down I knew that they weren't only the reason. Sure, I've never come across a human whose feelings were as strong, and pure as hers, but she was still just a human.

And just like that, the assault was over. _Thank God!_

The girl didn't make a sound, simply slumping against my chest. She had lost consciousness, which was probably why I couldn't sense her anymore. But who knew how her ability to block me worked?

_Why did you stop? Finish her!_ The monster in me growled.

_Arghhh just shut up! _The rational, weaker part of me argued. I was still shaken, and confused._ If we stop now, there will be a chance to have another taste at a later time …_

_Good point! _The demon agreed, retreating once again, silenced for the moment.

I leaned back in, carefully, almost tenderly tracing my tongue over my bite mark on her neck. I used only a small amount of my venom to close the wound. I licked away the residual blood, because it was simply too good to let it go to waste.

I sighed, holding the lifeless body in my arms. I was still slightly distraught, not sure about my next steps. To my utter relief, my animalistic cry hadn't alerted any humans to my presence, so for now at least I was safe … and so was she.

But not wanting to risk anything though, I swiftly swept her up into my arms, walking back into the other room. I laid her on the bed, pulling the comforter around her body. Her body temperature had dropped considerably due to the blood loss. She was shivering, but only slightly.

From the looks of it, the sheets and the comforter hadn't seen a thorough cleansing for quite some time. To a human eye they seemed clean, but I knew better. Once again, I was glad that I wasn't in need of sleep. But even if I were, I would have enough money to spend my nights in better accommodations than this one. The room reeked of human sweat, and sex. I doubted that she was responsible for either one of those scents. From what I could tell, she'd spent hardly any time in here at all. And who would like being in here anyway? This room was depressing at best.

_So what is she doing here? Looking for an easy way out? She doesn't seem to be the type … but on the other hand it would explain her easy surrender … _I mused. _But the real question is. Why do I care? She means nothing to me … _

I huffed in aggravation, taking a few steps away from the bed. I didn't know why but somehow I felt the need to put some distance between her and me. It was almost like her presence was clouding my judgment. And I needed to think clearly.

It was still easy from where I stood to check her physical condition. Her heartbeat was weak but steady, so was her breathing. Strangely, I felt relieved, almost happy. I quickly pushed those weird feelings aside, before they could corrupt me, anxious to finish my examination.

_Why do you care?_ The little voice in the back of my mind asked again, but I ignored it.

The scar on her neck was barely noticeable to a human eye, since her skin was already very pale to begin with. I reckoned that she would be fine, just sleeping for a day or two to regain her strength, replenishing her stolen life source. I could see to it that nobody would disturb her while she rested. I could pay the charge for the room for the next few days or so, and hang out the do-not-disturb sign. I was pretty sure that no one would suspect anything amiss, because in places like this no one really cared.

_But _you_ do!_ The voice pointed out, taunting me.

I didn't care, did I?

_Maybe … but just a little._ I allowed, reluctantly though. As a vampire, I never really had cause to embrace such a … _human_ … emotion. I wasn't used to take responsibility for anyone but myself. But here I was, worrying about a strange, human girl's wellbeing, only shortly after …. I shook my head. I might be able to admit that much, but I refused to believe it was more than simple concern. And why would it be anything more? I didn't know her. She meant nothing to me.

I groaned again, slumping into the chair next to the window. The curtains were drawn shut. Nobody would be able to see me. I sat motionless, watching the human girl sleep, while I was making up my mind what to do next.

I was torn.

I had two … no actually three choices.

One – I could just leave the room. Now that I'd made sure that the girl was okay_ish_, it would be the perfect time for me to leave … the room and the girl. I could wait for my car being fixed somewhere else, outside or in the diner … anywhere else but here, avoiding the temptation that was her, and her blood. By this time tomorrow, I would be miles away, leaving the memory of her extraordinary taste behind. Sure I would never be able to forget it, or her, but at least she would be alive. I didn't owe her that, far from it, since she had been the one asking me. But it would ease my mind. And on top of that, allowing her to live implied the slight chance of running into her once more.

Two – I could stay and wait for her to wake up, making her answer all of my questions. And there were many. How did she know what I was? Why did she want me to kill her? Or did she want me to turn her? What was she doing here, in the middle of nowhere? What was her name? How did she manage to block my gift?

The third option wasn't really an option for me to consider. Of course, I could still finish the job. I could simply kill her, and thereby erase all of my qualms, and the danger her knowledge about me and my kind entailed. _Two birds, one stone …_

But I couldn't do it, more importantly I didn't want to. I enjoyed the taste of her blood too much, and secretly I was hoping for another taste at some point, which meant killing her was out of the question. At least for now.

So that left only option one and two. Leaving or staying? A tough choice to make.

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**A/N Well? What do you think Jasper will decide?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Thanks for all the reviews, and for putting this story on alert or/and favorite. As always, I'm pleased. Sorry that it took me so long to update, but this summer is simply too hot for my taste … and apparently for my brain cells, too. *snigger***

**But anyhow, let's get back to Jasper and his decision making process.**

**Enjoy!**

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_Previously …_

_So that left only option one and two. Leaving or staying? A tough choice to make._

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Chapter 4

There was no use to deny the truth any longer. I didn't need more time to ponder over my choices, because apparently I've already made it. If I really wanted to leave I would have been gone by now. But I was still here … still sitting in the chair, completely frozen in place.

The only question left was why? Why wasn't I able to leave this room?

I knew it wasn't just the taste of her delicious blood and my deep desire to have another sip that kept me here. Neither was the total void of her emotions, in her sleeping as well as her conscious state. It was definitely both astonishing and refreshing, since I'd never met anyone who was able to block my gift so completely. Occasionally, Peter was able to keep his emotions hidden from me, but it demanded a lot of strength and resolve on his part to manage it, and to this day he had never been successful on a long term basis. This girl on the other hand seemed to do it naturally.

Whatever … they both were strong motives for sure, but strangely not the most pressing ones at the moment.

I still had to wait the next six to eight hours somewhere anyways, for my car getting fixed. Part of me tried to use that fact as a viable excuse. But it was useless to lie to myself, because that's just what it was, an excuse, and a lousy one at that.

By now there was no doubt in my mind left. It was _her_. She seemed to intrigue me on a whole new level. There were simply too many unknowns, too many unanswered questions. Part of the reason why I was constantly on the move was that I got easily bored. I loved nothing more than a good challenge. And let's face it after I'd left Maria I hadn't had many of those. Not that I wanted to go back to the hell hole. But at least back then I'd had a purpose.

But what had my life to offer me now? There wasn't really anything that made my existence interesting, worth living. I was truly only existing not living at all. I had nothing to fight for, no one to care for … nothing.

_Stop whining …_ The monster growled in annoyance. _You are embarrassing yourself … and me by extension._

He was right … sort of. After all, I was a fucking vampire for crying out load. I wasn't human anymore. I didn't need a family. I had two good friends to count on when necessary. I didn't have to worry about money or health problems. I should be happy.

But I couldn't deny the fact that I wasn't. It wasn't easy to admit this, even to myself, but sometimes I felt a little lonely, like something vital was missing. I knew my life wasn't complete, it was downright tedious. This weird feeling of emptiness has been getting stronger over the last two decades or so. I tried to ignore it, to sweep it under the rug, but to tell the truth it was starting to get to me.

So maybe, she was exactly what I needed. A new challenge. A mystery to solve. A change.

_And don't forget her blood._ My demon reminded me. I could tell he was still slightly miffed that I'd stopped earlier. I did my best to pay no him more attention than necessary.

It was safe to say that there was no going back for me now. My mind was made up. I would not leave her here, not without getting at least _some_ answers. How did she know what I was? Why wasn't she scared? Why did she allow me to bite her? Did she want to die? If so, then why?

But there was something else. In addition to my strong desire for answers, there was a pull, one I've never felt before. I didn't seem to be able to take my eyes of her.

She looked sort of peaceful, lying there under the comforter, her dark, long hair billowing around her face. It felt like I was under her spell or something like that. Without thinking twice I left my seat and moved towards the bed, kneeling beside it. I didn't seem to be able to fight the urge to touch her. My fingertips ghosted over her cheek. Her skin was warm, scorching even, almost like she had a fever. Maybe it was her body's natural reaction to compensate for the loss of her blood. What did I know? I didn't have any reference points concerning this subject. She was the first one I'd kept alive.

_And hopefully the last one, too …_ The demon added, in a curt tone. He was unusually calm considering the circumstances … being denied to finish his meal earlier and all that. All of the sudden he was sort of mollified, feeling almost satisfied even. I wondered what had brought this on, but for the moment I decided to give it no further thought, just taking comfort in the fact that he was content.

I reached out again, gently tucking a stray hair out of her face. She wasn't unattractive, far from it. For a human she was quite gorgeous, a natural beauty some might say. She smelled nice, too. Her scent was sweet, fruity, making my mouth water for a complete other reason than thirst. I leaned in, burying my nose in her neck, inhaling deeply. An involuntary groan escaped my throat.

Her blood had the finest taste, but strangely I couldn't smell it on her. The scent of her blood seemed sort of masked. How odd. I've heard of singers before, but never of a human whose blood didn't call to a vampire at all. But maybe she had some reverse-singer effect on me.

In the end it didn't matter, because I already knew how delicious her blood tasted and I would never forget that. And I could hear it pumping through her veins, slowly but steadily. I was already close enough. I could finish her, here and now. It wouldn't even take two minutes to drain her, and to be done with it. All of it. The speculation, the uncertainty, the temptation … all would be gone, and I could be on my merry way.

But I couldn't. Something seemed to hold me back, preventing me to go through with this plan.

What was wrong with me? She was just a human … strange and intriguing and beautiful … but still just a human.

Suddenly I felt the need to put some distance between her and me, before I did something I was quite certain I would regret later. This whole thing was starting to freak me out. Why did I feel this way about this strange human girl? I didn't even know her. She meant nothing to me, but still, in this moment one thing was crystal clear to me. I was incapable of harming her in any way. But why?

I retook my seat at the other end of the small room. This wasn't right. I shouldn't be feeling this way. Lusting after a human was one thing, but caring about one another thing all together. I've had sex with humans countless times before … right before I'd killed them. It had never been more than a means to an end, a quick and easy way to find a release, always short-lived, but still. But this felt different.

Pictures of me bending her over the counter in the bathroom, pounding into her roughly … over and over again until she screamed my name out in sheer pleasure, popped into mind. I felt myself harden.

_That's enough!_ I reprimanded myself. I shook my head vigorously, to rid myself of all the naughty images that came to my mind.

I needed a distraction, a mission. Since I wasn't going to change my mind, and I wasn't going to leave her, I was going to find out what I could without her help.

There was a well-used back bag on the floor beside her bed, but no other luggage. I snatched it, and emptied its contents on the floor. I quickly sorted through the items I found: A second pair of jeans, a couple of shirts, underwear, socks, and two books, but nothing else. This girl was definitely traveling light, unless the rest of her stuff was still in her car, but somehow I doubted that.

I went to retrieve her jacket from the coat rack by the door. I only found her wallet in the pocket, but no car keys. Well that answered one question. Obviously she was hitchhiking. Not unusual, but certainly not the safest way to travel for a young woman. I opened her wallet. There was no ID, only a couple of bills, not more than two hundred bucks total. No credit card.

She couldn't get very far with that laughable amount of money. And how in the hell did she get by without an ID? Did she lose it?

"Well that was a waste of time." I grumbled, getting her clothes and stuffing them back into her bag back. I certainly didn't get a lot of answers, if any at all. I wasn't even successful in finding out her name.

I picked up her books and slumped back into the seat. Jane Austin … not my choice of reading material, but it would help me to kill some time.

* * *

The sun came up around six thirty. I still sat in the chair. I had read both of her books twice over, but it had taken me only an hour to do so. The rest of the night I'd spent watching the sleeping girl.

I hadn't moved an inch, keeping a safe distance, avoiding the temptation that was her. She hadn't regained consciousness, but I hadn't expected her to wake up yet. I had taken quite a lot of her blood, and I knew it would take her a while to replenish her loss. But her vital signs were stable, and she seemed to be getting stronger with each passing hour. Oddly that fact made me feel a lot better. Was I really that worried about her wellbeing? It appeared that way.

Around eight, someone knocked in a not so gentle way at the door. I got up, and opened the door, careful to stay hidden in the shadows.

A boy of no more than seventeen years stood on the porch. My presence obviously startled him. "Oh … ehm … the rental fee is up, if you want to stay for another day." He managed to get out. He was mostly confused, probably expecting the girl to answer the door, and not me. I could sense a little fear coming from him. Not a surprising reaction for a human. _A normal human …_

I huffed in exasperation and pulled a bill out of my wallet. "I think that should cover it." The boy gaped at me, but accepted the one hundred dollar bill eagerly. "And do me a favor. I'd left my car over there to get fixed. Let me know when it's finished."

"Will do, Sir." He agreed enthusiastically. I could sense some greed radiating of him. He was probably hoping for some sort of extra reward for his efforts. I rolled my eyes at him. _Anything for keeping his mouth shut … and his eyes closed._

"Okay that will be all … now get lost, I'm busy." I grumbled, slamming the door shut. I heard him mumbling something not so nice under his breath, but inwardly I was just glad that he hadn't asked any unpleasant questions about my presence in this room. Playing ignorant probably saved his life.

The boy finally came back at two in the afternoon. Conveniently, he had parked my car right in front of the room. I gave him another twenty, thanking him for his service. He had definitely earned it at this point.

Ten minutes later I was ready and more than eager to leave this place. I made sure that no one was around when I left the room with the girl in my arms. I gently placed her on the passenger seat, stashing her bag on the backseat. A second later I was behind the wheel.

I knew exactly where I was heading. I was going to seek out the only person who might actually be able to help me. Peter.

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**A/N As always your input is much appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Thanks again for all your reviews. And hey, this time you didn't have to wait so long for an update. Yeah me!**

**Anyhow, you are probably wondering what kind of welcome will await Jasper at casa Whitlock. So without further delay, I give you the next installment.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 5

I made it to Colorado, Peter's and Charlotte's current choice of residence in record time. It only took me a little over 36 hours to get there. In order to be able to drive at high speed, I had been avoiding the major roads. And I had been fortunate. No cop had stopped me, and my car hadn't broken down again. That and the sole need to stop to get gas, made it possible to arrive at their house before my passenger had awoken from her unconscious state.

The entire trip the girl next to me didn't move or even make a sound. I had to glance over to her pretty frequently, since her emotions didn't give anything away. Her heartbeat has gotten stronger, and from what I could tell she was now indeed sleeping. That was proof that she was making good progress in her recovery. For a moment there I wondered if she was comfortable, in this awkward half sitting, half laying position. But then again, pushing the seat as far back as possible was the only thing I could do for her right now … and it was a nice thing to start with.

I didn't know what I would have done, if she'd awoken prematurely. Since my power didn't seem to work on her, I would have no means to keep her calm, well other than to knock her out. Oddly, that idea made my gut twist and turn.

_Here we go again with the awkward, touchy feelings …_ I moaned. I could hardly wait to get to Peter. Not to get rid of her, but to find some much needed answers.

As always my friends had taken residence far away from any human population, in the depths of the woods. This time it was at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Yes, they fed of humans, but they never hunted close to where they were living. It was a necessary precaution; one I couldn't relate to due to my unwillingness to settle down permanently or temporarily even, but it was one I could understand. We needed to be careful with everything, not to raise any kind of suspicion, which was why Peter and Charlotte constantly changed their hunting ground.

The house was fairly easy to reach by car, which was certainly a plus this time. I really had no intention to carry the girl, since touching her had such a reverse effect on me.

I finally pulled up in front of the house, and shut down the engine. The house was two stores high, and in my opinion definitely too big for just two people. Who did need so much space? Especially a vampire, who was neither in need for sleep or in need for a place to cook, which made at least two rooms obsolete … but besides that, I liked what I saw. The house was entirely made of wood, which was probably why I liked it so much. It had a homey feel, despite its size, reminding me of my human days. I could actually see myself, getting comfortable here … if only for a duration of my probably short stay.

I could sense that both Peter and Charlotte were home. And not a second after I'd climbed out of the car, Peter was by my side.

"Hey, Major! We didn't know you were coming. To what do we owe this pleasant surprise?" He greeted me with this trademark grin.

"I'd thought I'd come visit you guys early this year." I replied, nonchalantly. "I hope I don't come at a bad time." I added in a playful tone, earning me a wholehearted laugh from my brother.

"Well not this time. But you know you are always welcome here." He said, his eyes drifting from me to the sleeping girl on the passenger seat. "Who's your friend?"

I didn't get the chance to answer his question, to explain the situation. His mood suddenly changed 180, from playful to full-blown angry. His eyes were fixed on the girls exposed neck, on the scar I'd left there. His back tensed, and he let out a low, menacing growl. I knew I was in trouble. But I had no idea what for. I couldn't imagine it was because I brought a human with me. Despite the fact that we all used to dine on human blood, we weren't ruled by bloodlust. As long as we fed regularly, our self-control was just fine. So we had no problem to interact with them, whenever necessary.

I tried to get his attention with a fake cough, but he just spared me one meaningful look, telling me to shut the hell up. Under different circumstances I wouldn't have followed his silent demand. But this was his turf, his home, and I was only a guest. And therefore I had to follow his rules.

Charlottes chose this exact moment to make her appearance in the yard. "Hey, Jasper, welcome home." She greeted me enthusiastically. She didn't seem to have sensed anything amiss yet.

Peter turned around, facing his wife. "Char, sweetheart, please take Jasper's _friend_ upstairs and make sure she is comfortable. I'll be right there. I just need to have a word with the Major … in private." His voice was cold, almost detached, but otherwise he kept his emotions mostly in check, not wanting to scare his mate.

Charlotte finally caught on. The tension in the air was palpable. I could feel her confusion, but also her resolve to carry out Peter's order without any hesitation. She didn't respond with words, only with her actions. She moved quickly to the passenger side of my car, opening the door and pulling the sleeping human into her arms. The girl didn't budge, still completely out of it, which was probably a good thing under the circumstances. Charlotte gave me one last fleeting, inquisitive look, before I watched her flitting back into the house, cradling the girl in her arms, almost protectively. It looked kind of funny, since Char was slightly smaller, but I didn't dare to laugh. Peter's sudden mood change was still bothering me, making me rather edgy.

"Come with me." Peter ordered quietly, far too calmly for my liking. Something was up I just didn't what. He turned his back on me, making his way into the surrounding woods. He had managed to clamp down his feeling, like so many times before. But I knew that this time he hadn't done so to spare me, quite the contrary. This was not a favor, but a strategy. He was hiding his true intention from me. I could tell from the tension in his back, that he was pissed. Every fiber of my being screamed at me, to stay on guard, to be prepared for a fight, but this was my best friend, my brother. It was hard to think of him as my enemy. Maybe the knowledge that I was more skilled than him, when it came to man on man combat, gave me the false sense of security.

Peter walked deep into the woods, and I followed him wordlessly. It was obvious by now that he really wanted to talk to me without being overheard by his mate. I just couldn't imagine why. He came to a sudden halt in a small clearing, but didn't turn around to face me. I could hear him breathing hard, like he was trying very hard to calm himself. What the fuck was wrong with him?

I left a few feet distance between us, just in case, shifting nervously from one foot to the other, rubbing the back of my head. I could take the suspense any longer. "Look, Peter, if it is a problem for you and Char, I'll just leave and take the girl with me …"

Apparently that was the absolute wrong thing for me to say. Without any warning Peter whipped around, grabbing my right upper arm, and hurling me through the air. I impacted with a nearby tree, almost uprooting it. Because his attack had taken me by surprise, I didn't even manage to land on my feet. Instead I landed flat on my stomach. A second later Peter was on my back, pinning me securely to the ground, using his entire body weight.

"You will do no such thing." He growled into my ear, venom dripping from his mouth, barely missing my skin.

I finally had enough of this. I used all my skills to free myself from his restraint. I managed to get a hold of one of his arms, using all my strength to throw him of over my shoulder. He landed a few feet away. Peter was one of the strongest vampires I've ever met, but he was no match to me.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I snarled, crouching, ready to attack him. He got up, but he showed no indication to attack me again.

"What wrong with you, _brother_?" He spat, shaking with anger. I only allowed him feel what he was feeling, because I knew better than to use my gift on him, when he was like that. even though it seemed an impossibility at the moment I was fairly certain that he would calm down eventually … on his own. He just needed to get it all out. "Since when do you keep a pet? And what the hell did you think by bringing her _here_. Are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten what that hell-bitch had done to my mate?" Hurt and disappointment was evident in his voice and his face, but not only that, he let me feel it as well, almost crushing me with its weight.

I left my defensive crouch at once, slumping against a nearby tree trunk. How could I have been so careless? Guilt and shame threatened to consume me very quickly.

By bitch he'd meant my creator, Maria. Of course I haven't forgotten. As a vampire I would never have the luxury to forget anything. If we were lucky we could manage to suppress the most unpleasant memories ... but only until a word, a sound or even a whiff would trigger them. Just like now …

Countless pictures of Maria torturing Charlotte when she was still human came to the forefront of my mind.

My creator was the most sadistic vampire I knew, feeding on humans over and over again, using them as refillable blood bags, instead of just draining or turning them. She had taken great pleasure to cause them pain, unnecessary pain in my opinion. More than once Maria had tried to persuade me to take a human pet as well, but in the end I'd made her believe that I wasn't strong enough to withstand the temptation their blood represented. She knew that she couldn't force me to do it, so eventually she gave it up.

Biting a human didn't always result in turning them, only the insertion of our venom into their bloodstream would accomplish the task. It was mostly a choice, a kind of conscious act actually … but only for an older, more practiced vampire. The younger ones usually had no need for such a skill anyway, since they were driven solely by their bloodlust, hence their nonexistence of self-control over the production and usage of their venom.

Poor Charlotte had to endure this torture of being repeatedly fed upon for almost half a year, longer than any other human. Actually she had been the only one to survive this in the end, well more or less. She was finally rewarded (Maria's term not mine). I had been the one to turn her into one of us. For a minute there I had considered disobeying Maria's order, and just giving her the only true reward – death. But her feelings of gratitude and longing made me change my mind, and go through with the plan in the end.

What I hadn't known back then was the fact that Peter had already fallen in love with her, and she with him. Sure, I'd known that he had been the one to take care of her, see to her human needs, like getting food, and tending to her wounds, but nothing more. They'd only managed to keep their true feelings hidden from me, because I'd never seen them together. They both had been very careful, knowing that the discovery of their relationship would have meant the death for both of them.

But Peter has always been very cunning, which was part of the reason he and his mate had managed to escape a year later … with a little help of their friend. Me. I'd thought I'd owed it to them both. It was the least I could have done to atone for my sins. And five years later they had repaid the favor, by coming back for me.

Char once told me that it has been Peter's love and strength that had kept her fighting for survival in the first place. They really were meant to be together … for better or worse, and all that romantic crap.

I finally found my voice again. "I'm sorry, Peter, I hadn't thought how it might look." I said, sending him my sincerity along with my apology. Peter sank to the ground, yet avoiding to look at me, but at least he was willing to hear me out. "Just so you know she is not my pet. You know very well, that I've never agreed with Maria's torture measures, any of them, quite the contrary." And with that last statement it was clear if I wanted Peter's help, I had to give up my plans to feed on the girl again, at least not without her permission.

_Fat chance she is going to give you that …_ My demon protested, weakly though.

_We will see …_ I shot back. I was more than surprised, but he seemed to be somehow appeased with my snappy comeback. Whatever … I was just glad, because dealing with one opponent was all I could handle at the moment.

As always, Peter was oblivious to my inner argument. "But you fed of her." It was a statement not a question. After seeing the evidence with his eyes, there was no way to deny it.

"Yes I did." I affirmed.

"But why haven't you drained her, or just left her there, if you couldn't finish the deed? Why bring her here?" Peter demanded.

"I wanted to drain, believe me … it was really hard to stop at all. Her blood tastes like nothing else I've ever experienced …" I stopped, when I heard his warning growl.

_Okay, getting of topic here,_ I chastised myself.

"Anyhow … Maybe it'd best I start at the beginning. I stumbled across her two days ago …" I told him everything from the first moment I'd laid eyes on her until I'd placed her in my car, and took off. I skimmed the detail of my inner musings, just giving him the cliff notes. He listened quietly, getting calmer with each passing moment. Well, at least there was that. "I didn't know what to do. I didn't think it would be prudent to leave her there, not with all the unknowns. Hell I don't even know her name." I groaned in frustration.

Peter finally met my eyes. And the jerk was smirking at me. "She must be something real special to have you so wound up tight … I mean aside from the exceptional taste of her blood, which you won't get to sample again. Do I make myself clear?" I nodded once, rolling my eyes. "Well then … let's go back to house, and wait for her to wake up. I have to say from what you've just told me, I find myself mightily intrigued as well. She knows about us … but she is still alive. It's a miracle!" He jumped on his feet, leading the way. He was his old self again, all fun and enthusiasm.

"Yeah, she is quite the puzzle." I murmured, getting up myself.

We walked slowly back to the house. To be honest I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I took solace in the fact that I had Peter on my side now … sort of.

* * *

**A/N Well … that wasn't the warm welcome Jasper had hoped for. But can you blame Peter for his reaction. I certainly do not, given the circumstances. How do think Charlotte will react?**

**I hope that chapter answered the question why the human girl hadn't been changed when Jasper had bitten her. No venom had entered her system, and now you know why. Well at least part of the reason ;-)**

**Until next time. Leave me some love.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N All the reviews were great, they always make my day. Keep them coming, they encourage me writing more … and with any luck even faster. ;-)**

**I hadn't planned to change the POV in this story but as it turned out, it was necessary to let somebody else speak for a change.**

**Over the next two or three chapters you will learn a little bit more about our two other vampires, Peter and Charlotte, their relationship with each other and of course their history with the Major. I know that you are all very curious about the mystery girl's background story, but that will have to wait; for now I won't let her speak (don't want to spoil the fun). Anyway … I promise that most of the story will be told from Jasper's POV (it's my favorite anyway).**

**Well enough said, on with the show! Oh before I forget … there is a lemon in here somewhere. So you've been warned.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 6

Peter POV

Neither one of us was in any hurry to return back to the house, but for completely different reasons though. Whereas I simply needed some time to think and process everything my brother had just told me, Jasper was clearly just stalling, dragging his feet, behaving almost like a petulant child.

Of course, I knew why. To put it mildly, he wasn't looking forward to face my mate's wrath. He was probably hoping some more time would work into his favor, giving her the opportunity to calm down some. _Oh, Jasper, time is so not the issue here …_

Sure, physically Charlotte was no match for him – neither was I for that matter, not really anyway – but then again I knew he wasn't afraid of her using any kind of physical violence against him. Quite the contrary actually, I was pretty sure he would gladly take any form of beating over my mate's verbal attacks. He truly hated getting rebuked by her. And it seemed to happen at least once every time he came to visit, in some form or another. It was a given. Maybe it was part of the reason why he didn't stay for long. My wife truly had a talent to make him feel small, inferior even. And something like that never sat well with the Major.

I thought it was kinda hilarious, considering that he was the most feared vampire on this continent … but then again I knew how vicious my wife could be using nothing but her quick tongue.

_And what a wicked, talented tongue she has … _I smirked. Pictures of my mate kneeling before me, opening her sweet little mouth, taking everything I had to offer, assaulted my brain. And it was a very, _very_ nice vision. Charlotte was certainly a pro at giving blowjobs. I shook my head vehemently, knowing that now was not the right time.

_Enough of this … back to the subject!_ I reprimanded myself. Just to be safe, I peeked at Jasper from under my eyelashes. I was afraid he might have noticed my 'slipup'. But fortunately for me he hasn't. He leisurely walked by my side, lost in his own thought process.

To tell the truth, more often than not Jasper has deserved the scolding. He was an old soul, but in some ways still so young, immature. He certainly still had so much to learn … not only about true, positive feelings like trust, compassion, and love. He might be an empath, but in all those years he still hadn't managed to put it to good use. Given his past, I could understand his reluctance to embrace his gift. Maria had done nothing but exploit his special talent, abusing him in the worst kind of ways, physically and emotionally. This was why he thought of his gift as a curse, not a blessing.

But I begged to differ, I always have. Countless times I'd offered him my assistance. All I wanted was to help him get control of his gift, teaching him how to use it properly, maybe even help him learn some kind of defense mechanism against any kind of emotional onslaught while we were at it. But every time he'd declined, claiming that he didn't need my help, and that he was doing just fine on his own. Like hell he was, stupid, stubborn son of a bitch. Let's face it, Jasper had left the pit decades ago, things should have changed by now. But they hadn't. His choice of lifestyle, spending most time on his own, away from anyone, wasn't beneficial for his mental state, far from it. In my opinion it had made things worse, more complicated.

_And this leads us right back to where we are now … _I concluded. Once again Jasper had shown his insensitivity, his disregard for the feelings of others. _Pretty pitiful, considering he is an empath._

In my opinion my first … well more like my second reaction was totally justified. I couldn't help it anyway. When my eyes had fallen on the easy recognizable wound on the sleeping girl's neck, I'd just snapped. In fact, it had taken every ounce of my willpower not to rip out his throat and tear him limp from limp right there and then.

To say that I was relieved when I'd found out the truth was an understatement. Sure, deep down, I'd never believed Jasper would stoop that low and take on a human pet, not after what he'd been forced to witness during our shared time with the bitch from hell, Maria. I knew for a fact that he'd more than despised her for using that kind of torture on all those humans … for nothing more than to satisfy her own sadistic needs. There was really no other purpose behind this cruel act.

The sight of the neck wound had brought back very old and very bad memories to the forefront of my mind. I'd hoped to never be reminded of that again, at least not like that. It was enough to have the evidence being flaunted right into my face each and every day. Sure, these days the countless bite wounds, once covering my mate's beautiful, _human_ body had been replaced with bite marks of a different kind, almost matching mine in shape and numbers, but the memories had never fainted.

It was okay … well maybe not okay but I was used to it by now, not actually _seeing_ them anymore. And it wasn't like she wasn't beautiful anymore. Char would always be the most attractive woman to me, scars or no scars. But they were there, constant reminders of what we'd had to live through to get where we were now. But at the same time they also showed what we'd accomplished. Against all odds we'd survived … and stayed together.

I distinctly remembered the circumstances when Char had received her last vampire bite mark, since it was the first and only one** I** had put on her body …

_We ran … we just ran … with no particular destination in mind, purely driven by the desperate need to put as much distance as possible between us and the pit we'd just managed to escape. I knew we weren't followed, but still … better safe than sorry, right? Since we couldn't stay in our home state Texas, we headed up north. It was the most logical choice, less sunny days and lots of wilderness, an easy place to stay hidden._

_We barely exchanged a word since we'd left Texas, both knowing it was a fucking miracle that we were still alive._

_I'd seen it for what it was … the perfect and only chance. I'd realized at once I had to take it. And now I was more than glad that I hadn't wavered, otherwise my mate would be dead by now … and probably me too. I still couldn't believe that Jasper had let us go, just like that._

_I knew that Maria wouldn't ask him about Charlotte's whereabouts, since she'd ordered him to get rid of her, but she would certainly miss me, her trusty Captain. Well, what a pity, but to tell the truth I've stopped playing that role the minute I'd first laid my eyes on my future mate. In that moment something had shifted inside of me, bringing forth an instant, irrevocably change._

_Part of me was worried what he was going to tell our Mistress, worried if he'd risked to much by letting us go … but unfortunately there wasn't anything I could do about that._

_Jasper and I had never been close. It wasn't that I hadn't wanted that … no quite the opposite, given that he was my sire and all that, there already was a bond between us, even if it was very faint. But Jasper was very reserved … socially speaking … always just being the Major, cold and withdrawn, keeping his distance from everybody. Not really surprising. None of us invested feelings lightly in something like friendship or even love, knowing that it could be a risk, a weakness that could be exploited, not only by our enemies._

_This was why I'd hidden mine. I'd taught Charlotte very early, when she'd been still human, how to do the same. We knew that we were taking a huge risk, but it was worth it in the end._

_I would never forget the expression on Jasper's face, when he'd finally realized what had eluded him for so long. A flicker of hope …_

_Charlotte and I fed on the way, but only twice. I could tell from Charlotte's twitchy behavior that she didn't feel very comfortable to stop running for any length of time, but as always she took her time choosing the right victim, and I let her. She wouldn't feed of just anybody. I'd noticed pretty quickly that she only fed on male humans, never on a female. Even in her early days as a newborn she had been lucid enough to make that choice. It was quite remarkable actually. Maybe it had something to do with her last experiences as a human, but I'd never asked for a reason. It was bad enough that she could remember every detail about those last six months. I'd hoped that she would have forgotten everything … well not everything, but at least the bad stuff. But as it was, she seemed to get driven by those memories, not slowed down. Her will to survive was strong … and so was her hunger for revenge._

"_One day … one day she will pay for all of this, I'll make sure of that." She'd vowed, shortly after she'd been forced to fight and kill for the first time. Of course, she'd made sure that no one could overhear us. I hadn't contradicted her, but I hadn't encouraged her either. As long as the Major was on Maria's side, she was basically untouchable. It would have been suicide to try anything._

_Anyhow … for the moment our plans for revenge were the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to get my mate to safety … far, far away._

_We finally found a small abandoned cabin deep in the woods, somewhere in northern Canada. It was fairly obvious that it had been vacant for quite some time. I estimated it had been used for hunting purposes. How fitting! _

"_Peter, how long can we stay here?" Charlotte asked, sounding weary. I knew that she wasn't physically tired, but the events of this day were starting to wear on her. To tell the truth, we both needed a breather._

"_I think it's safe enough to stay for a while, if you like." I answered, pulling Charlotte into my arms. She went willingly, melting into my embrace._

_I buried my head in her blond locks, breathing in her luscious scent. "I love you." I said, sighing in contentment._

"_I love you too … more than anything." She replied, taking a deep breath. I could feel the tension starting to leave her body. I knew it would take some time … for both of us … to stop looking over our shoulders._

_We took the next five minutes to evaluate the state of things in the cabin. We were in luck. Aside from the small water damage in one of the rooms, it was in pretty good shape. It wouldn't take too long to fix anything broken, but I knew I wouldn't do that tonight._

_Right now I had other plans. I led my mate back into the small bedroom._

"_Hmmm …" she purred, as I kissed along her throat._

"_I need you." I mumbled against her skin, tugging at her shirt._

"_Then you shall have me." She permitted, lifting her arms thus making it easier for me to remove her shirt. Part of me wanted to tear her clothes off of her, but I knew that wouldn't be wise, because they were all we owned at the moment._

_The other part of me wanted to take his time, savoring the moment, celebrating our victory._

_We undressed each other slowly, layer by layer. I laid her on the small bed, and began to caress every inch of her body, lovingly, thoroughly. She relaxed more and more, clearly feeling safe in my presence … protected and loved. She knew I would do everything to keep her safe and happy, and vice versa._

_We kissed and caressed each other for what seemed like hours. When I finally entered her, we both moaned loudly, in a mixture of relief and pure pleasure. She was still so tight, like the first time I'd done this. Back then she'd been a virgin and still human, and I'd had to mind every move I'd made, in order to keep her safe. Now things were different. I was able to use my entire strength, and speed, but the feeling remained just the same. It was pure bliss. I was home._

_I thrusted in and out of her, slowly at first, allowing her to feel each inch of my length, caressing her from the inside. She was warm, tight and oh so wet, I never wanted it to end. But finally she couldn't take this gentle treatment any longer, begging me to move faster. I rolled onto my back, pulling her with me, handing the reigns over to her. She immediately began to ride me in earnest._

_It was a glorious sight, her breasts bouncing with each thrust. Her nipples were hard, begging to be licked, and bitten. I moved into a sitting position, suckling on them in alternating turns. Her moans got louder, joined by my growls of pleasure. In this position, we were quickly nearing the end. I licked and kissed my way up to her neck, and like always I had to fight the urge to bite down. I wanted to mark her so badly. I didn't know how long I would be able to resist this natural impulse, but I was scared. I didn't want to hurt her … not like this, not ever._

_Somehow she seemed to know what I wanted, without me saying it out loud. She tilted her head sideways, giving me more access to her neck. "Do it!" She said._

_I stopped mid-thrust, staring at her in shock. I couldn't believe it, but she sounded so sure. And even more, I couldn't see any sign of indecision in her red eyes, only trust and love. "Char, love … are you sure? You don't have to have to do this."_

_She smiled warmly, affectionately. "I know you want this, I want it too."_

_I kissed her with all my passion. "Oh God, I love you so much, Charlotte."_

"_Me too, Peter, me too. This mark will be our symbol. A new beginning, an icon of our union. I belong to you, only to you." She began moving again, up and down my shaft. I met each of her thrusts with my own. When our orgasms finally took over we both sank our teeth in each other's necks. Oddly, the stinging of our venom wasn't as bad as I'd imagined. If anything it heightened the already strong sensation of our mutual release._

_When the feeling subsided, I fell on my back, pulling her with me. We were both exhausted, but blissfully happy. We clung to each other, lovingly licking the bite marks, sealing them shut._

_We stayed like this for hours, still joined, bathing in the aftermath of the final step of making our union as mates._

I came out from that memory, with a smile on my face. That day had truly changed everything, and not only for us.

Char and I had stayed in the cabin for almost a year, only leaving it to feed or get any supplies we'd needed, like new clothes. It had been our first real home. The cabin was still there. Today we actually owned the property. And once in a while we returned there to celebrate, making it a sort of anniversary thing, spending days at a time doing nothing but have sex. Lots and lots of sex. _Good times …_

Me and my mate had come a long way, learning how to deal with the aftermath of our pasts. It was safe to say that it had gotten easier with time … a lot of time. Acceptance was the only solace, since forgetting was out of our reach. But it was enough. All that mattered was that we were safe and happy. And we were.

And our lives had stayed quiet … for the most part. I had returned to Texas only once, for the sole purpose to repay the favor, in getting Jasper out of hell. Since then neither one of us had returned back home, even though things had clearly changed since then. We hadn't heard so much as a peep from Maria. Jasper and I were convinced that she was lying low, maybe even ceased her plans for world domination. But in the end it didn't really matter what the bitch was up to or not, as long as she left us alone, we wouldn't have a reason to prepare for a fight.

* * *

Finally, Jasper and I made it out of the woods, entering the backyard of the house. We came to a halt near his car, and I turned around to face my friend. I couldn't help myself, voicing my earlier thoughts out loud. "If I didn't know it any better, I would say that you're scared, Major." I taunted, daring him with a challenging look to try and contradict me.

"Arghhh, shut the fuck up." He growled in response, but not denying anything. It would have been pointless anyway. The strained look on his face was proof enough, but it was his emotions that truly gave him away. He'd been projecting them the entire time; there was mostly guilt, spiced with a little dosage of anxiety. "And just for the record your woman _is_ scary." We kept our voices low, so Charlotte wouldn't be able to eavesdrop on our conversation.

"You don't say?" I replied, shrugging uncaringly. "But can you blame her? Or me? For reading the signs wrong?"

"No, probably not." Jasper conceded, but only half-heartedly. He glanced over to the house, pinpointing his gaze onto the second floor, frowning. He stayed quiet for a few seconds, concentrating hard, trying to get a read on the mood of my mate from where he was standing. Suddenly he huffed. "Yeah, just like I'd thought. She is pretty pissed … and very concerned. Maybe I should …"

I didn't let him finish. "Maybe you should do something to show her that you care about her feelings … and the human, too. Even if it's not completely true. Whatever … How about you head into the next town and get some supplies." I suggested, not out of courtesy, more out of necessity. Allowing him to go into the house before I had the chance to explain things to my mate would probably only end up in a fight, or at least a screaming match. And I didn't have the nerve or the time for either one of them. So I came up with the next best thing, sending him off to do something useful.

"Supplies … like what?" Jasper asked, confused.

Was he kidding me? "Food and water, you idiot. The girl will need it … a lot of beverages if memory serves. You better get some pain medication as well, like Aspirin or Tylenol, just ask for help in a drugstore." I told him.

"That's fine by me." He agreed at once, acting a little too eager for my taste. I was a little surprised that he didn't object to the fact that it was me to give him an order for a change. Jasper tried to walk past me towards the car, but I grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Don't think about skipping off, and leaving us hanging with the human. She is your responsibility, not ours." I reminded him sternly, letting go of his arm, when he started growling.

"I thought you didn't want me near her." He snorted.

"Yes, and I'd meant what I'd said. You won't get a chance to hurt her, ever again. But I think we both know that you owe her an apology." I raised my eyebrows, crossing my arms.

"Apology for what? Not giving her what she wanted." He scoffed, shaking his head.

"Jasper." I growled more or less in warning. My guess was that he was just trying to provoke me, so I decided to play along. "You better go, before I change my mind and set my wife on you … without telling her about the misunderstanding." I threatened. "Or we could just continue what we've started back there. It's your call. And don't think that I can't take you. I've got skills, man."

"Yeah, right." He chuckled. "Maybe later." He opened the door to the backseat, reaching inside and then tossing me a bag. "That's all she owns. Maybe you'll need it, in case she wakes up before I am able to make it back here." A second later he was behind the wheel, speeding down the lane as fast as possible.

He was escaping, sort of. For a moment there I was concerned that he would just leave, taking the easy way out, but after what he'd just told me in the woods, I was sure that he would be back. He might be taking his time, but he would return, because he was too damn curious. But there was something else, something I couldn't quite put my finger on … yet. Getting answers didn't seem to be the only reason that had inspired his interest in the girl.

I turned around and walked into the house, upstairs to find my mate.

* * *

**A/N So what do you think? Does this insight scoop answer some of your questions? Well, at least one, I hope. I guess it's obvious that Peter doesn't have a special power. As much as I like this 'knowing-shit-stuff' I think it's starting to get old. And Peter doesn't need a gift to be special, don't you think?**

**Next time I'll give you Charlotte's point of view.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N thanks for all of your kind and encouraging words. It means a lot to me, that so many people like this story. I'm sorry that I didn't answer a lot of your questions, but there isn't any fun in revealing things to early, right? Don't worry all your questions will be answered, but all in due time.**

**Like I'd announced last time, this chapter is all about Charlotte. Sorry guys, still no mystery-girl-talking … we're not quite there yet. Maybe next time …**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 7

Charlotte POV

As usual I didn't question my mate's orders, just doing what I've been told. I wasn't his loyal puppy, far from it, but I trusted him and his judgment … completely.

Only once I'd questioned the wisdom behind his decisions. I could clearly remember the day Peter had shared his plan to go back to Texas to try and retrieve our sire. It had been the first and only time we'd had a serious fight …

_It has been five years … five wonderful, peaceful years … since we'd escaped that hell hole I'd once called my home … well not the place Maria had kept us, but Texas in general._

_Peter and I both agreed in the very beginning to never set foot on the bitch's terrain ever again. Now that I'd tasted the sweetness of freedom again, I would do anything to preserve it. Which was why I was more than willing to postpone my plans for revenge, maybe even forget about them all together. Revenge wasn't worth much, if we would end up dead in the process. And the odds were certainly not in our favor. In fact in my opinion there was nothing worth jeopardizing what we had. We both didn't want to fight any longer, or to be forced to live our lives in fear. All we wanted was peace and quiet._

_And I knew for as long as I was with my mate … free and happy … nothing else mattered. Peter was everything … my savior, my reason for being, my one true love. And I knew he felt the same about me, and nothing would ever change that._

_A couple of month ago we'd purchased a small house near Vancouver. It was isolated, no human neighbors for the next twenty miles or so. We could have just taken the house, since it had been vacated for the last two years, but Peter had insisted on buying it, to keep up appearances and avoid any trouble with the human authorities. Like they could have done anything about us, but in the end I did see reason behind his words. Keeping our existence secret was the one and only law in our world we simply _had to _abide by, which meant playing by the human rules was necessary at times._

_There was only one problem. Money. With eternity stretching out in front of us, we would need at least some of it. Stealing things wasn't something I was completely comfortable with, a character trait left behind from my human days, but I understood that it was a necessary evil, to get us started._

_Thanks to Peter's foresight, we didn't have to do this any longer. He'd opened up an account for us, one that provided us with a little extra profit, thanks to some nice interest. But most of the cash we'd stashed around the house, Peter's idea, not mine._

_1929 we still had been in Maria's boot camp, but of course we had heard about the financial crisis in the human world. The economy was still on its recovery course, but according to my mate it was safe again to invest some money. Since it wasn't my thing, I handed all the financial stuff gladly over to Peter. I didn't ask for much to begin with, but having some sort of financial cushion gave us the chance to move freely in a world that had been once ours, but wasn't any longer … at least not for the most part._

_It was autumn, and most of the leaves had already turned brown. I loved this season. I spent a lot of my time on my own, sitting at the lake, watching nature change, reading or simply enjoying the peace and quiet, while Peter was taking care of things at the house or working on his car._

_This place was beautiful, our own little piece of heaven on earth. In short time we had turned the house into a nice home._

_We spent every day together, never leaving each other's side for more than an hour. We simply couldn't bear a longer separation than that. The only time we had to separate was during our hunting sessions. Vampires could become very territorial during hunting and feeding._

_Some of the nights we spent wrapped around each other, cuddling for hours, simply enjoying each other's presence, without exchanging a word … or actually having sex. It wasn't necessary to express our undying devotion twenty-for-seven, in words or in deeds. Feeling the other one's presence was usually enough, to make us happy. Although there were other times when we would stay in the bedroom for days …_

_But over the last two days I'd felt that something had changed. Not changed in a bad way, but something was clearly off. Peter had been very quiet, even more than usual. Sure, he wasn't a chatty fellow to begin with, but this was just weird. And on top of that he somehow acted agitated. A vampire who fidgeted and was constantly dropping things was certainly something out of the ordinary. Under different circumstances I probably would have made fun of him, but I could feel that something serious was bothering him. Since I wasn't worried that something was wrong with _us_, I voluntary kept my distance, thinking that giving him some space and time would be enough. I strongly believed that he would come to me, whenever he'd feel ready to talk. _

_But after forty-eight hours of silent treatment and weird vibes, he still hadn't said anything. I finally couldn't take this any longer. He was miserable and I didn't like seeing him this way, not to mention that I was dying of curiosity, figuratively speaking of course. So I cornered him in our living room, forcing him to admit what was going on in the pretty head of his._

_At first I thought I hadn't heard him correctly, but with being a vampire, I knew that was just wishful thinking._

"_Why? Give me one good reason … just one." I demanded, shaking with anger. Merely on impulse I took a step back, distancing myself from my mate and his stupid idea._

"_I owe him … _we_ owe him." He corrected, reaching for my hand. For the first time ever, I pulled away, denying him to touch me. In that moment I didn't even care that I hurt him with my action. I was too angry. Or maybe, unconsciously I was hoping to change his mind this way. Whatever …_

"_That's bullshit. We owe him nothing." I spat._

"_I know you don't mean that." He replied calmly. He wasn't really rebuking me, but he sounded sad and a little disappointed. I didn't like _that_ … at all._

"_Yes, I do." I shot back, plopping down on the couch. God, I was acting like a sulking child, but I couldn't help it. His plan was just plain crazy. Peter took a seat across from me in one of the armchairs._

"_Jasper has been the closest thing to a friend I'd had back then. I have to try, that's the least I can do." He explained. I lifted my head and looked at him, which turned out to be a mistake._

_I could feel my anger evaporating into thin air. Damn him and his stupid puppy-dog eyes. They always got to me. Normally I found this face cute, but right now I hated him for doing that, using it against me._

_Rationally I knew he was right. Of course we did owe Jasper … our lives, our freedom, our future … but that didn't mean that my mate had to go risk his life, by doing something as stupid as walking back into the lion's den. And he'd said I, not we. Apparently he wasn't planning on taking me with him. Going alone on this 'rescue mission' was foolish, if not suicidal. Who knew what was waiting for him there?_

_Peter broke through my inner musing, further trying to defend his decision. "I know you have your reservations … and I understand. I really do. But honey, I need to do this … you've seen him. He is as lost as we were. He needs our help …"_

"_But why now? After five years?" I interjected. "And why alone? What if something happens to you? You know I couldn't live without you. You have to take me with you, please. I can help." I implored, more or less wholeheartedly. I was torn. I didn't want to go back there, but I had to. I finally realized that there was nothing I could say or do to change his mind, which was why I'd made my offer to go with him. In case something should go wrong I wanted to be there._

_I had to be with Peter … until the very end._

_My mind was quick conjuring up various pictures of my mate being tortured for his disobedience. My body started to tremble with sobs of despair. I was scared. Peter wasted no time and rushed to my side, pulling me into his arms, making shushing sounds. "Nothing will happen. I promise I'll be careful. I won't take any unnecessary risks. Not for him." He assured me._

"_And I'm coming with you." I stated with poise, leaving no room for discussion. I dared him with a challenging look to try and fight me on this. He knew it was pointless._

"_Fine," Peter huffed. "We will take the truck, and you will wait for my return at the outskirts of city. I will go in alone. This isn't negotiable. Take it or leave it."_

"_Okay then, Captain." I growled, fake-saluting at him. But I knew this was the best offer I would get, and I had to take it. It was better than leaving me behind, waiting here, thousands of miles away._

_We spent the next two hours going over the plan, discussing every detail. Peter was truly in his element, planning attacks had been his job back then, and he was a genius. The only difference now was that we were planning a rescue mission instead of an attack._

_I was a little surprised how well informed Peter was, but it certainly made things easier. Apparently the vampire he had run into a couple of weeks ago had provided him with a lot of information we needed … about Maria's whereabouts and the state of things in her camp. According to that guy she was lying low, biding her time, scheming. The Volturi had paid Texas a visit, again, so for now it was relatively quiet there. That was good news, if he was telling the truth. But Peter trusted him. I only hoped that trust wasn't misplaced. But then again, Peter was very cautious and not easily fooled._

_Getting in wasn't the part I was worried about, getting out unscathed and not being followed … well that was the true challenge._

_But as it turned out his trust hadn't been misplaced … neither was mine … even under those unlikely circumstances. Against all odds, he'd managed the impossible. It took him only a few hours to get in, find Jasper and convince him to come with us … everything without getting caught. Like I'd said … Peter was a genius._

The first few weeks after we had returned to Vancouver had been hard, another kind of challenge for all of us. It had taken me longer than Peter to trust Jasper's intentions. In the beginning I hadn't been completely convinced that he'd truly felt gratitude towards us. Call it overly cautious, all this 'once bitten, twice shy crap', but with everything I'd gone through, I had a hard time to trust him. But neither Peter nor Jasper blamed me for feeling this way.

Over time, years actually, Jasper and I had managed to form some sort of loose friendship, but nothing more than that. With him dropping in every few years and staying only for a week or two, it was sheer impossible to tighten our bond further. If truth be told, I wasn't sure either one of us wanted to get closer … not really … but for different reasons.

Peter's and Jasper's bond was a different story. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that they had known each other for over two decades before my time, or maybe it was just a guy thing, who knew.

* * *

I walked past my mate and my brother, and pulled the sleeping girl from the car into my waiting arms. She was two or three inches taller than me, but that didn't matter. Hell, she could have been the size of a basketball player, and I still wouldn't have any trouble carrying her around … for hours if need be. I shot Jasper one last questioning look, before I made my way into the house.

To tell the truth, I hadn't expected him to say something. The weird look on his face didn't tell me much, but I got the distinct feeling that Jasper must have done something pretty bad to piss of my mate, because this wasn't like Peter. Even though he had tried his best to remain civil, I knew my mate was mad as hell. I didn't need Jasper's gift. As his mate I could sense these kinds of things … and let's face it, Peter has never been able to fool me, others yes, but never me. I guess it was a mate-thing, or something.

Whatever … the thing was, I knew that they kept something from me. I had no idea what was wrong … not yet anyway … but whatever it was, it must have something to do with the girl _and_ me, of that I was sure. I could hear them retreating, making their way into the woods. Whatever Peter was planning to say to his brother, he didn't want me to listen in on their conversation. For now I didn't mind, having the human girl to care of.

I carried her upstairs into one of the guest bedrooms, the one right across from our very own bedroom. We barely had any use for all the rooms in the house, but I always kept them nice and clean. Just in case … And today, I was more than happy to be prepared.

On more than one occasion Jasper had made fun of our lifestyle, once saying that all this luxury was ludicrous.

In a way he was right, it was more than we actually needed, but it was our home or homes, and nobody forced him to stay with us. But of course I hadn't told him that.

Instead I'd said, "Well what can I say? It certainly beats living in a dark, damp cell for six months, wouldn't you agree?" That answer shut him right up, and he hadn't dared to voice his opinion on this particular matter ever again, at least not out loud or in front of me.

Jasper surely wasn't the easiest person to be around … not back then, and not even now, after decades enjoying freedom. There was still a lot of darkness in him. I had no clue if he would ever make as much progress as my mate and I. Forgetting was impossible, but learning to deal was still within our grasp … as long as we tried hard enough.

I shook my head. Now was definitely not the time to ponder over Jasper. I had more important things to do.

I easily managed to pull back the comforter with the girl still in my arms. All it took was a little shifting of the weight. Being a vampire certainly had its perks, now and then. I laid her on the white sheets, taking a step back to take a first good look at her. She was young, younger than any of us … physically speaking. She was in deep sleep. And from the looks of it still in her pajamas. How odd. Did he take her from her home? Like a kidnapper? I couldn't imagine that was the case. He loathed the company of humans even more than the company of vampires … and we were his kin, so to speak. So what did he want with her?

From the smell of it, she hadn't had a shower in at least the last twenty-four hours. Don't get me wrong, she didn't stink, but my vampiric sense of smell was far more sensitive than that of a human. I could still detect the faint scent of cheap soap, like the ones you'd find in motels, but mostly I could smell her. She smelled nice, really nice. But strangely, the scent of her blood did nothing to me.

With a lot of practice and time I'd managed to control my bloodlust, allowing me to be around humans if need be, but there was always the tingle of the burning in my throat. But here and now with this girl I felt nothing … no burning in my throat, no hunger at all … nothing. This was certainly a first for me.

She looked so peaceful, lying there in the middle of the king-sized bed, like an angel, her long brown, wavy hair billowing around her face, covering her neck. I didn't want to wake her up, though I was tempted, but I wanted to do something. The clothes she had on were in good shape, but they were old and worn. I quickly flitted into the other room, pulling a pair of sweatpants and brand new t-shirt from my closet.

Then I returned back to the girl's side, starting to carefully undress her. When I pulled off her shirt, I froze in shock. The motion had shifted her hair, revealing a single but easy recognizable bite mark on her pale neck.

"Oh Jasper what have you done now?" I gasped, a tearless sob escaping my mouth. "You poor girl … don't worry I won't allow him to continue this, I promise."

There was no doubt in my mind. The son of a bitch had bit her. What has he been thinking? Why not finish the job and kill her? Or dump her somewhere? But bringing the girl here, knowing it would upset not only me, but Peter as well … he must be out of his mind or truly asking for trouble.

Now finally everything made sense to me … starting with Jasper's unannounced visit … Peter's less than normal behavior … him asking me to take care of the human while he went for a walk to have a talk with his brother … alone … and then Jasper's weird facial expression when I'd carried the girl past him … everything finally clicked into place. Peter had seen the neck wound, and had drawn the same conclusion.

_Oh, I sure hope my mate is giving the bastard what he deserves … _

Instead of going after them like I wanted to, I stayed right where I was and finished my task of changing the girl into fresh clothes. At the same time I took the chance to examine each inch of her body. I knew from personal experience that there were other arteries vampires like to sink their teeth into. Especially the male vampires loved to feed of the femoral artery.

Good news was that I didn't find any other bite marks on her, but there was a lot of scarred tissue. The wounds seemed to be old, and most of them were barely visible to human eyes. Maybe she was prune to accidents …

I was relieved that I hadn't found any other bite marks on her, glad for the human, not for Jasper. So he had bitten her just once, but that didn't change anything … not really. Because it didn't answer the question, why he'd brought her here. Did he want to feed of her again? Did he want to share her with us? Who knew what his plans were?

For now all I could do was sit and wait, for the human to finally wake up, or for Peter and Jasper to return … whichever would come first. But I wanted answers.

Just then I could hear and sense the boys coming back to the house. They were talking, but I couldn't make out the words. Before I could voice my opinion about their mystery mongering, I could hear a car leaving the premises. The next thing I heard was the front door opening and then closing quietly. I knew right away that it was Peter. Did he make Jasper leave?

_Only one way to find out …_ I mused, leaving the girl's side to meet my mate in the hallway. But I left the door to the room partly open.

Peter came up the stair with a small bag in his hands. He stopped right in front of me, dropping the bag on the floor by the door. "How is she doing?" He sounded concerned, but not really mad. _Interesting …_

"Still asleep. But my guess is that she will wake up soon." I said. "Did you kick his ass and make him leave?"

Peter chuckled darkly. "Yes on the first part, and no on the second. I've sent him on an errand." He said, adding, "To get food and medicine."

"Good thinking." I mumbled. "I know what he has done to her. I've seen the wound on her neck. I also checked the rest of her body. I found no other bite marks on her … but let me tell you she has a lot of other scars." The look on my mate's face told me that he didn't know that.

"He didn't do anything," Peter said, quickly amending, "Other than biting her once. He'd met her two days ago … she knew what he was, and didn't put a fight. He said she'd wanted to die. But somehow he couldn't do it."

"Well good for him … and her, I guess." I mused, glancing back over my shoulder through half closed door. She didn't seem like the suicidal type to me. There were no wounds on her wrists indicating that she'd tried to off herself before. Maybe she was running from our kind.

"I hope Jasper will be back before she wakes up. We might need his gift."

Peter shook his head. "He said it doesn't work on her … not really anyway."

"Well, that's unfortunate, but even though, he should be here … just in case." I said. "And of course I'm still planning on beating the crap out of him, for acting so thoughtless. He could have given us a warning instead of just showing up."

"I know he's an idiot. I will hold him down for you." Peter offered with a smirk, before pulling me into a tight, comforting hug.

"That won't be necessary." I growled into his chest, making him laugh.

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**A/N So what do think? Anyone interested in Jasper's shopping trip? Could get funny!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N I was quite overwhelmed by all the reviews. I'm glad you like my different approach. But I have to say I'm a little surprised that only one of the reviewers mentioned the absence of James' bite mark … mmmh …**

**Anyhow, since you all seemed to like the idea of Jasper going shopping for the human, here it is … the next installment.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 8

Jasper POV

I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Of course it didn't escape my notice that Peter was highly amused by my behavior. He probably took it as a sign of cowardice. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. I didn't really care.

And to tell the truth, given the circumstances I was more than willing to endure any kind of Peter's teasing rather than facing his mate's wrath. As long as Char was under the false impression that I'd planned on treating the girl like Maria had treated her, my ass wasn't safe anywhere near her. At this point my only hope was that in the meantime it would take me get some food supplies for the human and return back to the house Peter would have filled her in, and made her see reason. He had believed me that I didn't mean the human girl any (more) harm. With some luck Char would do the same.

_But you promised … _My beast growled in anger at my train of thought of leaving the human be.

_Urgh, just shut up … I'm not putting my ass and my friendship with Peter and Charlotte on the line for just another taste of her blood … it's not worth it …_ I countered.

_Oh, but it is … remember the unique sweetness and richness of her blood … how warm it was sliding down our throat …_ He tried to cajole me, and I hated to admit that he wasn't completely unsuccessful.

_Enough …_ I groaned, trying my best to banish the image from my mind … the one of me, back at that motel's bathroom, sinking my teeth into her neck and ingesting the delicious blood of hers. But of course the attempt was futile. I would never be able to forget that or the taste of her blood.

I was torn. Part of me desired to have another sip, very much so, and my demon knew that.

_We'll see how long you can withstand the temptation …_ He stated, before he retreated back into the depth of my mind, into his made-up cage. But I could still feel his confidence. He was sure I would fail.

And I was afraid that he was right with his assessment.

I might have found a way to put my demon on the leash, so to speak … only with Peter's assistance of course … but I knew, try as I might I would never be in complete control over him. He still had a whole lot of influence over me, over my decisions, as well as my reactions, and that was something I was sure would never change. There would always be a 'me' and 'him', not an 'us'. And to tell the truth, I didn't really know if I wanted it any other way. In times of great stress I still gladly handed the reigns over to him, have him take the lead. After all, he was the reason I had survived for so long. Fortunately, a reason for unleashing him arose rather rarely these days.

But even though … I was pretty certain that Peter and Char would be alarmed if they knew the truth, considering that they had managed to integrate that particular part fully into their personality, leaving them fully in charge of their demonic side at all times and not the other way around. Of course, they didn't have the same problem as me. And they had each other to lean on. I didn't have that kind of support system.

_Stop whining. We are a package deal … end of story …_ My demon pointed out. He was clearly annoyed by my nonstop musing. I'd done barely anything else over the past two days. This wasn't me.

_I know …_ I conceded, and he seemed to be appeased by my acknowledgement, retreating once more. I let out a sigh of relief. Right now I needed him contained, considering I was about to enter the human world, literally. Having him on edge would only end in unnecessary bloodshed, and that was clearly something I shouldn't risk.

I turned on the radio, searching for a station that played some jazz or classical music. I was in luck. Listening to some tunes usually helped me unwind some, and it didn't fail to serve its purpose now. I might not watch a lot of TV, but I was practically addicted to music. Many of the technical devices that were currently on the market didn't hold any interest for me, but I did own an iPod and of course a cell phone. The latter I only bought because it made getting in touch with Peter and Char a lot easier.

While I drove down the road through the woods to the nearest town, I contemplated my options … again. _This was starting to get old … and fast …_

This time, for a change, it was Peter's voice I could hear in my head, instead of the other one. _That's part of life, my dear friend … the constant process of choosing right from wrong …_

I huffed in annoyance. Peter was such a know-it-all sometimes. I was convinced that he was taking great pleasure in trying my patience. What other reason would there be? Time and time again he pushed me right to the edge, but always careful not to cross the line completely … not like that pixie chick back in the fifties. Remembering that day never led somewhere, except making me mad, so I quickly changed the direction my thoughts were taking.

_Back to the matter at hand …making a choice …_

Running and leaving the girl behind was an idea, but certainly a bad one. I was sure after pulling a stunt like that I wouldn't be able to show my face at their doorstep for at least a decade … or maybe never again. Peter and Char would be more than disappointed with me. And considering they were the only friends I had, and I wasn't willing to take the risk to lose them over something this trivial.

But more importantly I was no coward. I was Major Jasper Whitlock, for fuck's sake. My name still used to arouse fear in other's of my kind, and for good reason.

_It's time to act like a pussy and face the consequences of my actions …come what may …_

Since leaving wasn't an option, staying was the only other alternative. And I wanted to stay, if only to get some answers. Hopefully, I would be strong enough to restrain myself, and not succumb to my deepest desire. Fortunately, the girl's scent did nothing to me. That was certainly a plus. And I was sure I wouldn't be able to get near her, not without Charlotte's permission. I was sure she would guard the girl with her life.

_Weird … all this trouble over a mere human …_

I finally drove by the welcoming sign of a town, without paying any attention to its name … again. All I cared about was finding one of those well-stocked supermarkets, and get this errand over with as fast as possible. On the bright side, the sun was already down, so it was safe for me to walk around without causing any trouble.

I didn't have to cruise around too long, finding what I was looking for right at the edge of the city. It was one of those Wal-Mart supermarkets. Not that I'd been in one of them before, but of course I've heard of them. I pulled into a free parking spot. I was a little surprised. One look at the clock on the dashboard told me that it was almost ten pm, but almost a third of the parking lot was occupied by a wide variety of vehicles.

Thanks to my vampire vision I could read the sign with the opening hours from where I still sat behind the wheel. _We are open twenty four hours, seven days a week._ I had to give it to the humans; they knew how to provide service.

_If only for their kind_ … I added in my mind. A funny thought entered my mind just then, the image of various humans lined up in a row, to provide only one purpose … free choice of sustenance for my kind.

I blamed Peter for that one. More than once he had made me watch those ridiculous, but apparently very popular TV shows about vampires. Insistent little fucker that he was, he wouldn't take no for an answer. Even after countless hours of watching tape after tape, I couldn't see the appeal. But Peter was quite the fan, excited whenever there was a new show coming up.

The only one I could endure watching without having to fight the constant urge to gouge my eyes out or hurl was the one called True Blood. It was fairly new. Aside from the fact that they as well stuck to the basic myths … like our alleged allergy to sun light, sleeping during the day or the misapprehension that a simple blood exchange would create a new vampire … it certainly had its highlights. Though I would never admit it to Peter or anyone else, I'd grown quite fond of that Eric character.

He was a fierce, strong-minded fighter just like me … well sort of. I liked his wit, and his determination. When he saw something he wanted, he just went out and got it, or at least he tried everything in order to get it. But more importantly, he was smart enough to recognize the benefits that came with the revelation of their existence to the humans and take advantage of them, if only to serve his own selfish needs. But what made him truly sympathetic to me was the fact that he was more than reluctant to deny his true nature. He didn't even think twice to change his natural diet. In this we saw eye to eye. The thought of drinking animal blood was bad enough, but just imagining drinking some sort of synthetic substance made my stomach turn.

I chuckled. My timing really sucked lately. Here I was, just about to go into a building full of humans and all I could think about was my feeding preferences. _Bad timing indeed …_ But luckily I wasn't hungry or rather thirsty at the moment.

I leaned over, reaching into my glove compartment. I pulled out a thick envelope, containing my stash of cash money. I took out some bills, stowing them away in the back pocket of my jeans. I just wanted to be prepared in case I wouldn't be able to pay with my credit card. I put the envelope back, making sure the glove compartment was closed, before I finally got out of the car.

For a few seconds I just stood there by my car, taking in the scenery and watching the humans. All of them were pushing a cart, empty ones when they were entering and stuffed ones when they were leaving the market.

_Well I guess, I'm going to need one of them …_ I mused, walking over to the entrance to acquire an empty one. I felt a little weird pushing the cart, carefully minding my strength and speed of walking. It was hard to pretend I was one of them, but did my best to blend in because it was crucial.

When I walked through the sliding doors, I froze on the spot. My mouth fell open, as I took in the interior of the market. I almost faded from shock and had to stifle a groan that threatened to escape my throat.

This place was huge.

Sure, I shouldn't be surprised. I had seen the exterior of the building, indicating its size, but still it was one thing to picture what things would look like and another to actually see them with your very own eyes.

And I hated to admit but what I saw now kinda scared the non-living crap out of me. _I am in hell … how am I supposed to find my way around in this labyrinth?_

There seemed to be countless aisles, stretching endlessly and stocked up high with all kind of things I had absolutely no use for … a vast selection of cheap clothes, which were both ugly and smelled weird, tools for home improvement, office material like pencils, paper, … and lots and lots of human food. Who the hell did need such a variety of choice?

_Isn't gluttony supposed to be a sin?_

The artificial light in this place was too bright, and too cold, making my sensitive eyes burn … only a little, but still. I've always preferred the darkness. _Maybe because we were supposed to be creatures of the night … mmmh … there's a thought … and it would certainly explain why we are able to see just as good in total darkness as in broad daylight … _

A snippy voice pulled me out of my reverie. "Excuse me." A tiny, plump woman pushed past me, in a very rude way, I might add, muttering profanities under her breath, cursing me for blocking the entrance with my shopping cart. Of course, she wasn't aware that I heard her … loud and clear.

Sure, usually I wouldn't give a damn to what she or any human for that matter thought about me. As far as I was concerned they all were just potential meals on to two legs, nothing more.

I knew I should just ignore her and her comments, but right here and now, I was already wound up tight and easy to sway. I could feel the familiar tug, the impulse to put her in place, to show her my superiority. But the fear of exposure held me back from taking action.

As hard as it was, fighting my instincts, I stayed put.

But despite my best efforts, I still couldn't hold back a warning growl, I was way too tense. And unfortunately my reaction didn't go unnoticed by her. She glanced back at me over her shoulder, staring at me. Her demeanor quickly changed from being irritated to something else entirely … something oddly familiar. Her eyes widened, and then I could smell her fear.

_Shit … So much for keeping up appearances … and being on stealth mode …_

I had to do something … and quickly … anything to defuse the situation before it would escalate. I conjured up my best apologetic smile, sending her some calming waves along with it just for good measure. Sometimes my gift did come in handy.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am." I drawled, bowing my head.

Before she could reply something, I pushed my cart past her, hurrying to get away from her as fast as I could without drawing any more attention to myself than I'd already done so far.

I could still sense her confusion from my position, two aisles down. Well confusion I surely could handle … but panic … not so much right now.

_One problem solved, onto the next … the reason why I came here … shopping for the human …_ I groaned.

So where should I start?

I felt like a creature from outer space … or like a nun in a sex shop. I really had no idea what most of the stuff was. Yes reading the labels would tell me what it was called, but it didn't tell me if it was considered necessary … or tasty.

Back in my time, when I had been still human we didn't have shops like these. Hell, I grew up on a farm, which provided us with all the things we needed … food and shelter.

I could probably ask someone to help me out, but I decided against it. I didn't want any more interaction with the humans than absolutely necessary. And considering what just happened, it would be for the best … for both sides … if I stayed away from them. I clearly wasn't a people's person. I was just glad that my demon hadn't reared its ugly head. The outcome would have been completely different. But he probably hadn't deemed it necessary to show himself … dealing with a low life and all that. It was beneath him.

But anyhow, staying under the radar was easier said than done. Due to my nature, I'd started drawing attraction to myself the second I'd entered this establishment, without intentionally seeking it out. No real surprise there, I was used to that kind of reaction. I could feel the eyes of many women on me. Waves of awe, mixed in with the usual dosage of attraction and lust hit me, as I strolled down the aisle. I tried my best to ignore it, keeping my head down, avoiding eye contact, but at the same time sending out clear signals of warning.

It was probably a good thing that it was already this late; I would have a harder time to maintain control during daytime, when this place was truly busy.

In any case, it was in the human's best interest not to approach me. Even though I wasn't here to find _my_ next meal I wasn't known to turn down an opportunity to satisfy my needs … either one of them … especially not when offered freely.

But I had a mission to complete, and no time … or even the slightest interest to get sidetracked.

And I didn't need anyone's help to accomplish this task. How hard could it be, right? Every aisle was labeled, which would make finding my way around in this maze certainly easier for me. And not to mention that my nose could guide me.

I vaguely remembered a commercial about a cereal brand called Kellogg's, but that was years ago. Maybe I should have watched more TV. All those commercials about food and stuff during the breaks might have given me some idea what to get. What do humans eat nowadays? Or more precisely what did _she_ like to eat?

Since I had no idea what the human girl's preferences were, I decided to stick to the basics … so bread, butter, milk, definitely water, perhaps juice, and of course a small selection of vegetables and fruits would have to do.

When I reached the aisle storing the first item on my list, I was once again overwhelmed by the vast variety of choice. But since my patience was running thin, I grabbed the first one that caught my eye, not actually caring what I'd picked out. I also grabbed a box of cereal, settling on the classics, plain cornflakes.

Soon my cart was overflowing with all kind of goods. I might have overdone it a bit with the beverages, but then again I was just heeding Peter's advice. But more importantly I had no desire to make this kind of trip every day. But then again how much could a tiny human like her need, to satisfy her hunger? I estimated that the supplies I got should last for a week, at the very least. Maybe next time Char or Peter would take over this hideous chore. But knowing Char, she would insist that I should continue taking care of the human in this way, as part of my punishment for hurting her in the first place.

My final stop before checkout led me to the area, where all the cooled and frozen goods were stored. Taking in the size of the area, I immediately realized its significance. And a thought popped into my head.

I pulled out my cell and dialed Peter's number.

He answered on the second ring. "Don't tell me? You need some advice on what to get."

"No," I replied gruffly, "I just called to ask if you guys have a fridge, since I hadn't had a chance yet to see for myself. It seems like most of the human food requires cold storage these days."

"Yeah, I know, it's weird. But anyhow to answer your question, yes we do have a fridge, even in working order." Peter chuckled, and I could hear Char doing the same in the background. I wasn't sure if they were laughing at me, or at some private joke. "And before you ask, we also have a fully stocked kitchen … plates, glasses, silverware, pots and pans; the whole nine yards … we even own a microwave."

"Why in God's name do you have all those things? Ah, never mind. I'm just glad I don't have to hunt down any of these items too. It's bad enough as it is." I grumbled.

"Oh, poor Major, my dead heart goes out to you. Well, try to have fun anyways … and don't forget to pick up some of the good stuff for us grown-ups." He reminded me, like I wasn't planning on getting a couple bottles of single malt anyway. Right now, I really wished vampires could get drunk.

"Yeah, yeah I'm on it. See you later." I said, hanging up on him, cutting of his laughter. "Stupid motherfucker." I muttered under my breath, turning my attention back to my task, eager to check of the last items on my shopping list.

Sheer out of curiosity I picked up one of the prepared dishes and read the label. Did humans actually enjoy eating this junk? Taking into account the amount of synthetic ingredients, any of those dishes were a rather poor excuse for a healthy meal, but I picked up a couple of them anyway. They were easily fixed, by the use of that microwave thingy, something even a vampire without any cooking skill would be able to manage.

Finally I was ready to leave this awful place. The line at the checkout counter was short, and it took me only a few minutes to check out. I swallowed back a comment when the cashier told me the total sum, just handing her a couple of bills.

"Keep the change." I told her, already pushing my cart towards the exit. Thanks to the extra service provided by a short boy, I didn't have to bag the stuff myself. As soon as I left the building I took in a deep, though unnecessary breath of relief.

_Thank god I'm done …_

I hurried to put all the purchases into the trunk of my car, and then I practically jumped behind the wheel, and drove off. After making a short pit stop at the nearby pharmacy to get some light pain medication, and of course a short visit to a liquor store to get some much needed alcohol and even some smokes, I was finally ready to return home … err, I mean back to Peter's and Char's current residence. For a moment I wondered if the girl would already be awake by the time I made it back there.

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**A/N So what do think? Believable reactions on Jasper's part? Next time the human will speak …**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N thanks for all the kind and encouraging comments for the last chapter. It's been a while since the last update, I know and I'm sorry, but I'm glad that you are still with me.**

**Well … finally what you've all been waiting for … it's time for the human to wake up. I wonder what she has to say …**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 9

Jasper POV

The drive back from town to Peter's and Charlotte's house was uneventful, and short. Only half an hour later I pulled up in their driveway, parking in the exact same spot as before, cutting off the engine.

I was glad to be back here. Well, sort of. At the very least I was relieved, because around here I didn't have to hide what I was, despite the fact that there was a human sleeping in one of the rooms on the upper level. But this human was an exception to the rule. She already knew, or so I assumed, what I was, even before I'd exposed myself by biting her.

Since I was free to move as fast as inhumanly possible, I took full advantage of it. In a blink of an eye I was out of my car and had the trunk popped up. I frowned at the numerous bags, waiting to be unloaded. Even with my vampire strength it would have taken me perhaps three times to get everything into the house. Driven by my sheer stubbornness, my unwillingness to do this alone, I called out for help, loud enough to be heard by a vampire, but still too quiet for a human ear to pick up.

"Can someone lend me a hand?" I all but growled.

I could hear and feel Peter's amusement before he emerged from somewhere behind the house. He brushed dirt from his clothes as he leisurely walked over to me.

"The mighty Mayor asking for help … I'm shocked. Are you sick?" He reached out, as if to feel my forehead. I simply dodged, instead of slapping his hand away, although I was tempted to swipe the mocking look of his face.

"Just shut up and grab the rest, will you?" I snapped at him, walking over to the house with my arms full of human food supplies.

At first I didn't pay any attention to the interior when I entered the house, impatient to find to kitchen. But it was rather easy to find, since the entire downstairs was practically one big room, with a joining kitchen. I walked straight over to the counter separating the spacious living room from the tiny kitchen area, unloading the goods. Then I took a curious glance around. Of course there were lots and lots of bookshelves, filled with books and DVD's, but no knick knacks. A large flat screen was installed against the east wall, above the fireplace, and the large couch and the big matching loveseat were looking rather inviting.

Despite its roominess the living area looked rather cozy. Maybe it was all the wood, and the dark colors. I've never had any desire to settle down, but I had to admit this place had some appeal.

"You like it?" Peter asked with a smirk in his voice, placing his load next to mine.

"It's okay." I shrugged, trying to sound indifferently, but according to Peter's emotions I wasn't very convincing. I started to unpack the goods, using it as a distraction. "I think we should put away the frozen stuff, before it's going to melt." I suggested. I didn't care about the waste of money, but I had no desire to go back to that awful place to replace those items, at least not any time soon.

"Yeah, you're right." Peter agreed. In the matter of second the fridge was stocked with everything that needed to be kept cooled or frozen. The rest of the things we put into the empty cupboard above the sink, and the vegetables and fruits landed in a big bowl. We left a couple of the water bottles on the bar, not knowing if the human preferred her beverage cooled or room temperature.

I leaned casually against the counter, feeling utterly pleased with myself. As far as I was concerned by providing and (correctly) storing sustenance for the human, I've served my sentence. But knowing Peter's mate she wouldn't agree with me on that.

Peter stood a few feet away from me, reading the perception manual of the painkillers I'd picked up. His brows were furrowed slightly. I almost laughed at his concentrated look, but I didn't. Instead I took the opportunity to take a closer look at him, noticing that the dirt on his clothes was in fact a fine layer of sawdust. "What the hell have you been doing in the backyard?"

Peter glanced down at his clothes, and huffed in annoyance. He desperately tried to clean himself further, but to no avail. Finally realizing that at this point there was nothing he could do to rectify the state of his clothes, he gave up. He shrugged his shoulders, and then he looked up, at me. "I've been chopping wood, what else? For the fireplace upstairs and down here … now that we have a human among us, we have to keep the house heated, don't we?" He answered my question.

It did make sense. The cold didn't bother us vampires, but I guessed that the nights around here could get quite cold and therefore uncomfortable for a fragile human.

Still, I frowned. What else were they going to do for her?

"She is still out cold." Peter said, stating the obvious. Even from down here I was able to ascertain that the human was still deep in slumber land. Her breathing was steady and regular, and so was her heartbeat. It was strange, but I was relieved, glad even, that she was recovering that quickly.

Her strong heartbeat was a little distracting though, calling out to me … and HIM … like a homing beacon. Thankfully, the monster seemed to be at peace … for now.

_Just stay close to her … that's all I need … for now … _My monster chimed in. In making a demand like that he was acting like he was actually in charge of me.

_Am I not?_ He challenged.

_I don't think so._ I snapped. But the truth was, he had more influence over my actions and decisions that I was willing to admit, out loud. But unfortunately I wasn't able to hide my thoughts from HIM. He sniggered in response, but remained silent. I exhaled loudly.

Completely misinterpreting my reaction, Peter hurried to reassure me. "But I'm sure she'll wake up soon." Playing along, I simply nodded.

"You are right about that assessment, honey." Charlotte agreed, appearing out of nowhere. She walked over to Peter, and kissed him soundly on the cheek, before turning around, and opening the fridge. "Hmm … I have to say you did a fine job." She said, examining the contents.

A huge grin spread across my face. Char's head snapped up, and she glared at me. "You have no right to feel smug. This was hardly a hard task to accomplish." She scolded me. Apparently I've been projecting my feelings again. "And don't think you are off the hook … oh, no, not by a long shot." She added, reaching for one of the water bottles and the pain medicine. I scowled, but didn't dare to oppose her. Without another word Char left the kitchen to go upstairs again.

Peter had his lips pressed together, very tightly, like he was trying, very hard, to keep himself from laughing or commenting. I didn't care which urge was stronger.

"Not. A. Word." I warned him through clenched teeth. Knowing it wouldn't end well for him to disrespect me, he complied … grudgingly though. I might allow his wife to walk all over me, without retribution, but that didn't mean that he had the same privileges.

My monster didn't like to be reprimand by a submissive (his words not mine) either, that much I could tell, but he never commented in words or forced me into action, not against Charlotte. I had no idea why, though.

_Isn't that obvious? I like feisty women …_ HE answered my question.

_Weirdo! _I replied with an eye roll.

_Look who's talking … er thinking … remember I am a part of you … you know what _that_ means … _He trailed off.

_No, I don't._ I denied vehemently.

_Well, that's too bad … but maybe it's time you figure it out …_ He said mysteriously, retreating once again, thus leaving me hanging with more questions. Knowing I wouldn't get any useful answers out of him, I dropped the subject … for the time being.

A few minutes later, Peter and I went to join Charlotte on the upper level.

There were four doors, but only one was open. Peter went inside the room, while I remained in the hallway. I could tell that Charlotte didn't want me _in_ the room, but otherwise she didn't seem to mind my presence up here. To my surprise, she felt actually glad that I was close by. She was probably hoping that my gift would come in handy, when the girl would wake up. Too bad, that it didn't seem to have any effect on the human. I'd mentioned it to Peter, but maybe he hadn't shared this vital piece of information with his mate. I surely didn't want to point it out now. I wanted to be there when the girl would regain consciousness. And who knew, perhaps it would work this time. Maybe I'd just have to try harder.

Not knowing what else to do, I sat down on the floor, making myself comfortable by leaning casually against the wall. Even from this position I still had a perfect view inside the room.

I could see the girl lying on the big bed, dressed in a fresh set of clothes. She looked rather peaceful … and truly enticing with her long, dark hair fanned out like that. God, I should stop thinking about her like that, even it was the truth.

Charlotte sat next to her on the bed. I could tell that she was restraining herself from touching the girl. Though, I didn't know why she would want to do that. Sure the warmth of the human skin was a very pleasant experience for us vampires. But I doubted very much that Char's intentions had anything to do with mine. My guess was she just wanted to hold her hand or caress her cheek, anything to show her sympathy, because as a vampire we didn't need physical contact to check for vital signs.

Peter sat in one of the armchairs near the window, watching his mate with interest. But whereas I was astounded by Char's open display of affection he was simply smiled. He didn't feel the same way about the human as his mate. That much was obvious. But something told me that he would do everything in his power to protect this human, because that's what Charlotte wanted.

I wondered how the human would feel about this. Would she be glad to have two vampires guarding her? Or would she freak out … at last?

Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long to get my answer. A couple of minutes later, the human girl began to stir.

* * *

Human Girl aka Bella POV

I could feel something tugging at my mind. The sensation felt oddly familiar. It felt like waking up … from a very weird, very vivid dream.

But that couldn't be right. I should be dead … and in heaven by now (since I've done nothing to deserve to go to the other place). But this certainly didn't feel like cloud nine, not that I knew what it would actually feel like. But wasn't heaven supposed to be a place of eternal peace and happiness? I certainly didn't feel peaceful or happy, quite the opposite actually.

And on top of that, I hurt, all over.

It wasn't the burning sensation Jimmy had told me about. Every muscle in my body was aching, like I had a really tough physical workout without warm-up … for hours. And I was thirsty … craving water, not blood.

So, I haven't gone through the change. I wasn't dead and I wasn't a vampire. I was still me, little human Bella.

But what the hell has happened then?

Without making any conscious effort, my memories came rushing back … the last moments before I'd blacked out …

_I was sitting in that motel diner, sipping on a bad cup of coffee. God, I missed Starbucks. I tried to read, but mostly I was wondering how I would get to the next town. I hated hitch-hiking, and sleeping in those cheap, crappy motels. But what other choice did I have? I needed to safe my money, having only a couple hundred left. Maybe I should try and find a job in the next town. But having no ID would make things more difficult. Well, I could probably get a temporary one, poorly paid, but at least it would help me get by somehow._

_More than once I've considered disregarding Jimmy's warning, and go and find my father. But I couldn't. It was too dangerous._

_So far, I've been lucky. The guys, and occasionally women, that had offered me a ride had been nice. But I knew my luck would run out eventually … and it did … when HE came into the diner._

_He took a seat at the bar, ordering only something to drink._

_Jimmy had warned me to keep a low profile, and try not to call any attention towards myself. But I couldn't help myself, I simply had to look._

_I knew at once what he was. A vampire. Just like Jimmy, he was blond, though his hair was longer and slightly curled. I wanted to run my fingers through it. He was tall, and muscular, probably around twenty years old (physically speaking). He was dressed casually, with jeans and shirt … and cowboy boots. Fuck, even with this slightly annoyed look on his handsome face, he was drop dead gorgeous (no pun intended). He seemed to be upset about something. Somehow, I got the impression he didn't want to be here, but was stuck for some unknown reason._

_The whole time I tried to be careful, sneaky, observing him from under my eyelashes, making it look like I was still engrossed into my reading material, when in truth he had my full attention from the very first moment he'd entered this fine establishment. Damn those vampires and their alluring power._

_And then our eyes met. I couldn't look away. I felt trapped in his gaze, like I was under some sort of spell. His red eyes didn't frighten me. Jimmy's eyes had the same color and I wasn't scared of him either … at least not anymore. I trusted Jimmy with my life, especially after … I stopped that thought right in its tracks. This was neither the time nor the place to have a mental breakdown._

_The strange vampire let his eyes wander unabashedly over my body. I felt utterly exposed under his intense scrutiny. I was torn between feeling embarrassed and thrilled._

_Jimmy had told me, that vampires were very sexual beings, with incredible stamina. For a split second I imagined myself with this blonde godlike creature in my motel room, on the bed, our limps entangled, his lips kissing and caressing every inch of my body, and then his cock thrusting into me, hard, again and again … until …_

_Damn hormones, I cursed silently, quickly dropping my gaze. I knew I was blushing furiously. It actually felt like my whole head was on fire. I shouldn't be fantasizing about a stranger like that, but especially not about him. Who knew if he was out to get me like the others? _

_I needed to leave, and fast. I searched my pocket for some coins, placing them on the table next to the half empty cup of coffee. Then I stood and left the diner, trying to act normal, probably failing completely._

_I could feel his eyes on me the whole time. It rattled me. Would he follow me? But what if he did? I was no match for him. He was a thousand times stronger, and faster._

_Deciding there was nothing I could do to prevent him from coming after me I went straight into my room, not bothering to lock the door. It wasn't like I was trying to make it easier for him to get to me, far from it. But seriously … if he wanted to get in, he would find a way. I changed into my sleeping attire and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth._

_This was where he found me. Since I've sort of anticipated his arrival, I didn't show any surprise or resistance, merely accepting the inevitable. I would die. He didn't need to use any force, when he pulled me closer. I went willingly, actually leaning into his embrace._

"_Do it." That was the last thing I said, before his teeth cut into my neck. With each pull I felt my strength weakening, until the darkness took me completely …_

He bit me. I could clearly remember that. And yet, I was still alive. How was this possible? Did he stop? But why? And how? Jimmy had told me that once a vampire started sucking blood, it was nearly impossible to stop, because the bloodlust took precedence. And what about the venom? Didn't he inject some of it into my system? Apparently not. My mind was reeling from all the unanswered questions. And as a result my head started to hurt even more.

Sure, I wanted answers to all of my questions, but first and foremost I needed to know where I was.

Of course, I could just open my eyes to check, but I was afraid to do so. Instead I used my other senses to gather some information.

My sense of smell told me that I was definitely not in the motel room any longer. I was glad about that. I've always hated that the weird, moldy stench that came along with those cheap motel rooms. I took in a deep breath. The air was clean and crisp, but slightly tinted with sweetness. The smell seemed familiar, yet foreign. Odd …

Due to what my sense of touch was telling me, I assumed I was lying on a bed. It was very, _very_ comfortable bed, and the sheets were so soft, like silk. That was even more proof that I wasn't in that motel anymore. The sheets in those establishments always made me itch. If it were up to me, I would stay in this bed and never get up. But I knew I had to face reality eventually.

I couldn't hear anything … well that wasn't true. There were birds singing, and I could hear leaves rustling in the trees nearby, but other than that it was quiet. Was I in the woods somewhere? Did HE bring me here, wherever here was? And for what purpose?

There was this weird humming noise, like a swarm of bees. It sounded very close, and like the sweet smell, it seemed oddly familiar. _Think Bella …_ And suddenly, it clicked. I knew that sound, and that perfume, for the lack of a better term. There were at least two vampires in the room with me, maybe more.

My eyes snapped open. I could barely make out anything. It was dark, probably nighttime. I sensed someone moving. A second later a soft light brightened the room considerably.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, sweetie."

* * *

**A/N So, Bella is finally awake. What is going to happen now? And who is this Jimmy character she is referring to? So many questions … well stay tuned, some of them will be answered in the next chapter. But until then I'd like to hear your theories.**


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